Two Weeks: The Passing Crossroads
by LumpyChunks
Summary: New Orleans is the battleground for fight that will decide the fate of the world. Four survivors with dark pasts will fight for reasons they cannot explain to bring down the one who is responsible for the infection while battling their own dark demons.
1. Chapter 1

The south lawn of the White House was littered with dilapidated tents, abandoned rescue and army vehicles and hundreds of bodies. The corpses that crowded the green grass had stained it with blood, the grim evidence of the battle that had been waged there recently. The United States had fallen victim to a plague; a disease so frighteningly potent it changed the very being of those who had been infected. Those people became irritable, rash and lost all traces of their humanity. Left in the putrid shell of the infected were monsters, monsters that wanted nothing more than to destroy everything in front of them. These people who had been infected were the lucky ones, as the disease had caused striking mutations in other, less fortunate people. Some people became heavily muscular and could hardly walk under their own weight. Others had their tongues grow so long they could stretch for over fifty feet, making it difficult for them to breathe and move. For some people, their stomach bloated, causing them to waddle and suffer a violently grim death if their frail skin was pierced. Corpses of these people were also lying on the south lawn of the White House.

Inside the situation was not much better. Weapons and ammunition were placed at strategic locations throughout the building, with the people who attempted to defend them lying dead nearby. Furniture had been rearranged to form barricades, most of which had been broken through. Windows were smashed and all throughout all of the corridors and rooms, bodies carpeted them and silence decorated them.

This silence was interrupted by a bang and a loud groan. Down various stairwells and passageways a single infected, very muscular, was banging relentlessly on a large metallic door. Through the thick steel was a small room, occupied by several people cowering around in fear. The staff of the White House had managed to escape here, only to be trapped by the Tank that was outside, desperate to break in. The room was quite modern, with computer terminals and television screens placed around the walls, none of them working. Sprinkler systems were in place on the ceiling that had dim halogen lights. The rear wall was decorated with the American flag. With a particularly forceful bash, the top right corner of the door bent inward. Several people flinched as they saw it happen. Some people began to cry, others started to get angry. One woman did neither, however. She was stood watching the door, a handgun in her hand ready to fight what was trying to get in. Her hair was neat and a light brown with a faint wisp of grey. Her suit was slightly tattered, but it was clear that it was sleek and elegant.

Norah Hanham was stood with her back to the rear wall and a small desk separating her from the increasingly damaged door. She watched as it slowly became clear that there was no way out of this situation and that the Tank was not going to stop it's assault. A man came up to her, distraught.

'For Christ sakes, Norah!' he cried. 'That thing is going to get in here any second!'

'I know,' Norah said, not taking her eyes off the door. She pulled the slide back of her gun and let it snap back. 'We're going to fight it.'

'You're insane!' the man protested. 'You've got the only gun. You can't defeat one of those things with a handgun!'

'Well I'm going to try,' she said firmly, looking away from the door and into his eyes. 'No one else is going to try so that responsibility falls on my shoulders.'

'No one else wants to get torn apart by those things! We want to die on our own terms, as painlessly as possible.'

'Sorry,' Norah spoke defiantly. 'No mercy killings on my watch.'

'I can't believe this,' he walked away, upset. Suddenly, he turned and pointed at her. 'Who are you to make these decisions for us?'

'As the President and most of the Cabinet have managed to leave the country safely, I am the highest ranking official left in this room and left in the United States, period,' she spoke with passion and intolerance of those who wanted to just give up. 'I have spent my whole life serving my country, as you all have. I am not going to throw in the towel now just because things seem bleak.'

'Things are bleak, Norah!' the man insisted.

'That's Madam Secretary, thank you!' she retorted snidely. 'Today, America has fallen. We have failed at our jobs of protecting this great nation from danger and we only have ourselves to blame.' There was a silence in the room, the Tank outside had even paused in its assault. 'We will not disservice our country any longer. We will fight to the end as the shame of just giving up is far worse than death.'

The crashing outside suddenly continued, this time with more determination. As the Tank tried to get in, an unusual sound could be heard from the door. It was a sizzling sound, the sizzling heard if cold water fell onto a hot surface. Along the outer edges of the door, a green substance was eroding the metal, burning it away. The Tank's assault was becoming more vigorous and the door began to fall apart.

'My God...' someone muttered. 'They're working together!' The door burst open and fell to the ground, revealing a large infected, the Tank. Norah lifted her handgun in the direction of her target and pulled the trigger. It was the first and only time she fired a gun.

_**Two Weeks Earlier**_

The south lawn of the White House was clear. Washington D.C. was clear of any destruction or signs of infection, for now. Norah Hanham was walking through an elaborate hall with a luxurious red carpet under her feet, delicate chandeliers hanging gracefully from the ceilings and tasteful, nostalgic portraits standing proud on the walls. As she turned a corner, Norah was met by a tall man with short blonde hair.

'Hello, Ed,' she greeted. Edward Deacon smiled at her and handed her a set of documents, matching her walking pace. 'What goodies are these?' She looked up at a set of double doors ahead of them.

'The President is on Air Force One,' Edward reported.

'Heading for the climate change conference?' Norah asked.

'Yeah, in a massive polluting jet... There's been concern about the outbreak in New Orleans. You've been put in charge of fixing it.'

'Goody,' Norah joked, stopping in front of the doors and turning to Edward. 'What's the fatality count?'

'So far, no fatalities,' Edward said cautiously. 'However there are so far over one thousand infected.'

'And no fatalities?' Norah asked, opening the door. 'What's deadly about it then?' She and Edward entered the conference room. Inside was a group of people sat around a large desk. A flat screen television was on the rear wall and two empty chairs were at the front waiting for them. Edward waited for Norah to sit down before taking a seat himself. Norah cleared her throat and put the documents Edward gave her on the table.

'Alright, I'll keep this brief,' she said. 'Roughly six hours ago we were given reports of a viral infection in New Orleans that has never been seen before. Symptoms are similar to rabies and as of yet, no method of treatment has been devised. Current estimates put the infection number at over one thousand.' A few people in the room began whispering to each other, worriedly. 'Now,' Norah spoke over the whispers, 'the President has handed over the treatment of this matter to me. I give the orders; everything goes through me however we all need to work together to make sure this thing does not spread. I'm ordering New Orleans to be quarantined immediately.'

'Pardon me,' a man with a thick British accent spoke suddenly. He was directly on the opposite end of the table to Norah. He stood up. 'Avery Ingram,' he introduced himself. 'Director of the Civil Emergency and Defence Agency.'

'Yes, Director,' Norah nodded, trying to hurry up his speech. 'We've met before.'

'Have we?' the Director's eyebrows arched in slight surprise. 'Well you'd think I'd remember... Anyway, I think quarantining New Orleans would be a bit of a drastic measure at this stage of the infection. I believe many would think it is... premature.'

'I beg your pardon?' Norah leant forward.

'Well as you've said, so far, one thousand have shown symptoms of this new disease but there have been no fatalities.'

'So far,' Norah interrupted him. 'I don't want to run the risk of this getting out of hand.'

'And what happens if you place New Orleans under martial law for something that turns out to be nothing more than a cold?'

'What happens if this is more serious than just a cold? What happens if it's more deadly than anything else we've seen so far? I'd rather not take risks, Director, especially with rabies-like symptoms.' She sighed and went to continue with the agenda but stopped when she saw the Director was still standing. 'I'm sorry, Director but my mind is made up.'

'If I may,' the Director tucked his chair under the table, 'in all of my experience I seriously doubt this infection is going to lead up to anything.' Norah narrowed her eyes at him. 'I mean what if it's just another swine flu scare? What happens then when you've quarantined a major city for no apparent reason? They'll think the people that run the government are recklessly irresponsible and that by suspending civil liberties for that reason is stepping over the line.'

'There's a fine line between being careful and stepping over the line,' Norah said. 'Just like there's a fine line between giving an opinion and stepping over the line. You've said your bit, Director, but I'm still closing off New Orleans.'

'As I understand it, this is a democracy,' he continued, addressing everyone else in the room. 'The Secretary of Homeland Security does not know as much about virus and infection as some of us do and I know she means well, but her actions will have consequences for all of us.' There was silence. 'Now, I think we should put New Orleans up to a vote.'

'You're out of line,' Edward protested.

'Not at all,' the Director shook his head, raising his hand. 'I'm merely... being careful.' He shot Norah an ambiguous look. 'I think everyone who believes quarantining New Orleans is a bad idea should raise their hand now, taking the wellbeing of the American people and your careers into account.'

Within seconds, the only two people in the room who had not raised their hands were Norah and Edward.

Norah ended the meeting shortly after and hastily left the meeting room. Edward followed her closely to try and keep her calm.

'Who the hell does he think he is?' Norah spat. 'Smug bastard. "Oh you'd think I'd remember meeting you"... Ass.' Before Edward could say anything, the Director called out from behind. The two stopped and he joined them.

'Mind if we have a moment of privacy please old chap?' he asked Edward, who looked to Norah. She nodded and he went on his way. Norah continued to walk down the corridor, walking brisker than usual to force the Director to try and keep up with her.

'I hope I didn't sound out of line back there,' he said.

'Well you did,' Norah snapped back. 'And you were!'

'I honestly have the best interests of the American people at heart,' he explained. 'Locking down an entire city... well, it'd cause panic.'

'And it'd prevent and outbreak,' Norah said, stopping. 'You hijacked my meeting, Director.'

'I was merely advising you-' he spoke but Norah interrupted him.

'People usually give their advice and that's it,' she spoke angrily. 'If their advice isn't taken onboard, they don't undermine the authority of their superiors and cast doubt upon them!' The Director and Norah stood silently together.

'Are you my superior?' the Director asked, smugly. Norah's eyes lit up with anger. She stepped closed to him and spoke in a hushed tone so no one would overhear.

'You're banned from all of my meetings,' she spat. 'You are to send a representative.' Norah turned to leave but the Director called out after her.

'Do you really think New Orleans requires quarantine?'

'I'll guess we'll have to wait and see,' was her response.

'I suppose so,' the Director nodded. 'Tell you what, if I'm wrong I'll buy you a drink.' With that, he walked off in the other direction, leaving Norah standing there alone in the corridor. Her hatred toward the Director was brewing intensely within her.

*

Earlier that day, the sun rose in Savannah, Georgia, to the strident sounds of tyres screeching and metal crashing. The dull cry of a car horn then filled the air, constant and unending. The head of the driver was slumped face first into the steering wheel. The windshield was shattered, the airbags were nowhere to be seen and blood was pooling on the floor. In the back seat of the vehicle, a man had his head rested against the cracked window. Their car, a decimated taxi, had crashed straight into the front of another vehicle. The airbags in the black car had deployed and the windows were still intact, however they were visibly damaged.

The driver's door of the black vehicle was kicked open, the window glass falling to the floor as the occupant staggered out. Feet crunching the shards on the ground, the middle aged man stepped away from his vehicle and toward the taxi. He wore a dark shirt with matching trousers and shoes. His hair was greying and receding. His eyes were brown and looked heavily focused. Disregarding the body in the front seat, the man opened the rear passenger door and let the man fall out and smack on the ground. Leaning into the taxi, he retrieved the passenger's metallic briefcase and then slammed the door shut. Happy with what he came for, the man began to make a hasty retreat.

Heading for an alley just by the road, the man's pace picked up to a brisk walk. He was about to enter the alleyway when he heard someone cry from behind.

'Hey!' he heard. The man turned to see the gentleman who had fallen from the taxi standing up with a pistol in his hand, aiming for him. The man turned and ran into the alley, ducking his head slightly. A gunshot signalled the start of the chase, as the taxi passenger began to chase after him. The pursuer ran a lot faster than the other man. He was younger, thinner and more muscular. He followed the thief into the alleyway and saw him up ahead. The man turned a corner, knowing that his pursuer would soon be on his tail. He saw a door that was open and ran for it, taking out his phone.

'Nick, I need some help!' he cried.

'Sure thing, Peter,' Nick said on the other line, hanging up his phone and starting to run to help. Nick had short dark hair with a white suit and a blue shirt. He turned the corner of the street and ran for the alleyway that was by the car wreck just ahead of him.

Peter ran into a restaurant kitchen. Pushing through confused staff, he left the kitchen as his pursuer entered and made his way up a small set of stairs to another floor. Following the hallway, Peter moved as fast as he could to the roof access that was just ahead. He opened the door just as his pursuer came up the stairs and made his way through as a bullet shot past his head and into the open door. After ascending more stairs, Peter found himself on the roof and went to jump between rooftops. However, he stopped when he saw Nick running through the alley that was between the sizeable space between buildings. Cursing, Peter turned and saw the man he was running from emerge from the stairs, his weapon ready to shoot. Holding his hands out to the sides, Peter surrendered as Nick looked up and ran into the building.

'Drop it,' Peter was instructed.

'Now,' Peter spoke carefully, 'just don't do anything crazy.' He stepped close to the edge of the rooftop. 'You wouldn't want to shoot me and let this fall off now would you?'

'Do you have any idea what's inside that, old man?' Nick emerged from the kitchen and ran up the stairs.

'Do you have any idea how old I am?' Peter asked, trying to buy more time. 'I'm definitely no old man!'

'You'll be a dead man if you don't hand that case over to me right this second!' Nick reached the top of the stairs and sprinted down the corridor, dreading the sound of a gunshot.

'What's inside that's so valuable?' Peter asked.

'You'd steal it without knowing what's in it?' the man asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

'I was only hired to grab it,' Peter said. 'If you make it worth my while, I'll just hand it over to you and we can pretend this never happened.' Nick ran past the bullet hole and jumped up the stairs to the roof.

'You have no idea what you've got in your hands right there,' the man said, a look of grave seriousness on his face. 'Hand it over before you do something stupid.' Nick appeared at the top of the stairs and slowly moved toward the man who had his back to him.

'Now,' Peter said slowly, 'don't _you_ do anything stupid...' Quietly, Nick stepped close behind the gunman and then grabbed his arms in an attempt to get the weapon away from him. The man managed to retaliate by counterattacking Nick and flipping him onto his back. Peter moved in to help and swung the case at him. However, the man ducked and smacked him with his pistol and took the case from him. He held the pistol to Peter's head but Nick kicked the man in the back of the legs, causing him to stumble. Nick reached up for the weapon and managed to pull it away from him as the man broke away from the two and ran for the edge of the building. At the edge he jumped and soared far over the large gap and landed safely on the other side, rolling as his feet touched the roof.

'Damn it!' Peter spat as the man began to run away with the case. He shook and hung head in defeat, sighing as Nick stormed past him and jumped off the rooftop. Peter looked up, shocked, as Nick moved through the air over to the other side. However, he wasn't as fast as the other man and fell short of landing on the roof. Throwing the pistol, he grabbed the edge of the rooftop and dangled perilously over the substantial drop. The gun skidded along the rooftop and the man turned to see it and changed direction. He ran for his weapon.

'Get up, my boy!' Peter cried as Nick tried to pull himself up. 'Come on, Nicky!' The man got closer to his gun and Nick lifted his leg up onto the rooftop and pulled himself up, rolling along the round. He grabbed the weapon just as the man reached it and he lifted it to the air. Dropping the case, the attacker tried to reach the gun as it fired a shot into the air. The two wrestled on the rooftop as Peter watched anxiously. Nick elbowed the man in the face and pushed himself away from him and stood up, standing between him and the case. The defeated man also stood up, his back to the edge of the roof. His eyes looked at the case and then at the gun. He knew he had lost.

Giving Nick a dirty look, the man leant backward and fell off the rooftop headfirst. Peter looked over the edge and saw his grim death, wincing as his body thudded against the street. Nick, surprised at what had just happened, looked over at Peter. Peter looked up and smiled.

'You've done well, my son!' Nick forced a smile and nodded. He felt a bit sick after just watching someone die. 'If only your Mother could see you now...'

'I...' he spoke slowly, a lump in his throat. He had never been responsible for someone's death before. 'I think I'll walk down this one.' Taking the case, Nick headed for the roof access door of his own building while Peter stood up and took out his phone and made a call.

'We've got it, Director,' he said.

*

Elsewhere inside Liberty Mall, a small camera crew were setting up in front of a 1968 Dodge Charger. The driver, dressed in white and blue racing overall was leaning against it as pictures were being taken. Huge portrait banners of the driver were hanging down from the very tall ceiling, standing very proudly. The banners were signed "Jimmy Gibbs Jr.". The news crew was small, one lone cameraman and the reporter, a young woman with dark hair and skin. They were rehearsing the news piece. She could only get as far as saying her first name.

'This is Rochelle... damn it!' she shook herself.

'What's wrong now?' Dale, her cameraman, asked sounding mildly irritated. His hair was dyed a mixture of black, blue and green. Rochelle stood for a moment, tapping her foot on the ground while watching Jimmy Gibbs Jr. pose.

'I'm sorry we didn't leave Ohio for _this_!' She gestured toward Jimmy, who was now lying on the front of the car, his legs wide and hand on his groin. 'We were supposed to be looking into this strange flu pandemic...'

'Well, what can I say?' Dale shrugged. 'They changed their mind and orders are orders.' Rochelle stopped tapping her foot and shot him a glance.

'Let's ditch this place,' she said.

'Are you mad?' Dale protested. 'We could both loose our jobs!'

'At the rate everyone's been off sick?' Rochelle asked rhetorically. 'I don't think so. Come on, let's ditch this wind bag!'

'Ready for me then, darlin'?' Jimmy Gibbs Jr. asked, approaching the two and patting Rochelle on her rear. Rochelle forced a light-hearted chuckle as she pushed Jimmy's hand off her, as he decided to turn a pat into a lengthy grope and squeeze. Stepping away from him slightly and turning to face him, Rochelle spoke with a fake apologetic voice.

'I'm so sorry,' she said, ignoring the fact that Jimmy was staring at her breasts as she spoke, 'We've got an emergency back home and need to leave.'

'So soon?' Jimmy asked. 'Stay a while and I'll give you the grand tour...' He swayed his pelvis as he spoke, looking seductively at her, winking. He then looked at Dale. 'You too if you want.'

'Okay,' Dale said, lowering the camera, 'I think we should go now. We should set off now if we need to get back to Ohio.' He and Rochelle packed up and went to leave the mall. Jimmy called out after them.

'Come back any time, you hear?' he looked slightly disappointed but then saw some of his fans queuing up to get his autograph, smiled and walked over to them.

Rochelle and Dale walked out of the mall into the car park, laughing together.

'Jump on that train, Dale,' Rochelle laughed.

'People in this hick town are nuts,' Dale joked, shaking his head.

'They're not nuts,' Rochelle shook her head. 'Just unique.'

'You would say that,' Dale stopped by the van, loading the camera into it. 'You're a reporter. You have to be politically correct.'

'That guy just had his hand on my ass, squeezing it so hard it was like he wanted to pull it off. How's that for political correctness?' The two laughed some more before Rochelle stopped and looked out into the car park. The sun had only just risen and people were starting to show up, ready to shop and eager to see Jimmy Gibbs Jr. She sighed and Dale put his hand on her shoulder tenderly.

'What's wrong?' he asked.

'Nothing...' she bit her bottom lip gently. 'I dunno... my entire career it's just been "hi, I'm Rochelle. I produce a news show." I've never been in front of the camera or doing anything important like I've always wanted to. I've never been "hi, I'm Rochelle; I'm a respected journalist... until now. This is my big break and what do they put me on? Some crap bit about a lame race car driver.' Dale nodded in understanding. 'I just want my first story to be something special... I'm a good journalist, damn it.'

'A good journalist does what her boss asks her to do,' Dale pointed out. Rochelle sighed and rubbed her hand over her face.

'Let's get something to eat,' she suggested, getting inside the van. 'You can reprimand me later.' Dale chuckled, shaking his head and got into the van. The two drove off down the street. A police car and ambulance passed them, heading for the scene of a car crash down the street.

*

Back inside the mall, Jimmy Gibbs Jr. was signing autographs for his loyal fans. A slim young man with brown hair and blue eyes approached him, along with his friend who was tall, thin and almost as handsome as he was.

'Who should I make this out to?' Jimmy asked as he took a photograph, looking over at some attractive young women.

'Ellis, sir,' the young man said, taking off his blue baseball cap as he approached him.

'Well you're a fine young man, Ellis,' Jimmy said, throwing the autograph at him. 'Very handsome one, too.' Ellis stood with his friend, quiet. A few seconds passed.

'Thanks,' he said.

'Now do me a favour, Ellis,' Jimmy said, pointing to the young women he was looking at. 'Go talk to those young ladies over there and tell them they're welcome to my hotel room tonight. You two can come too, if you want.'

'Okay,' Ellis nodded. He spoke with a strong southern accent. He headed toward the young ladies but his friend stopped him.

'Ellis, you crazy?' he asked. 'We could have them all to ourselves!'

'I dunno, Keith,' Ellis shook his head, putting his cap back on. 'Jimmy Gibbs Jr. asked me to do him a favour.'

'And?'

'And?' Ellis asked rhetorically. 'It's Jimmy Gibbs Jr.!'

'Just do it!' Keith ordered.

'Okay,' Ellis sighed, walking up to the group of four women. They stopped talking and smiled as he approached. Ellis was an attractive young man, no doubt. He only had problems when he opened his mouth. Taking off his cap once more, he spoke to them. 'Good morning, miss,' he said to one girl before looking at the one next to her. 'Ma'am.' He changed direction again. 'Young lady.' He turned to the final woman. 'Madam...' The girls all greeted him in unison by saying 'hi'.

'Hey...' Ellis shuffled nervously and looked around for a source of inspiration. 'Y'all here to do some shoppin', huh?' The girls giggled and nodded. 'Yeah, me too. I love malls, I do. Once I was in this mall up in Atlanta and these guys were dancing for like, money and stuff and my friend Keith, he's right there, and I was all...'

'Is that your friend?' one of the girls asked, pointing to Keith who was gawking at them awkwardly.

'Ah yeah, that's Keith,' Ellis said. 'He's a great guy. Jimmy Gibbs Jr. sent me to get you to talk to him so we could all go to his hotel room together, but Keith said we should talk to you instead.'

'But Keith's not talking,' one of the girls pointed out.

'Oh yeah, he's just shy. Had some bad experiences with the ladies, y'know.'

'Oh? Like what?'

'One time he drowned in the tunnel of love.'

'God!' one of the girls gasped.

'I know,' Ellis continued. 'You wouldn't think it could happen because that water they use is so shallow, but that's how it gets you, girl! _Overconfidence_, you know?' The girls were nodding their heads, genuinely enthralled by Ellis' story. 'Keith was with his lady at the time and he was yellin' for her to save him but she didn't want to get wet.'

'That's terrible!'

'Yeah, I know,' Ellis nodded. He looked over to Jimmy Gibbs Jr. who was giving him encouraging looks. 'Anyhow, Jimmy Gibbs Jr. wants to talk with you ladies.'

'Oh? Why?' he was asked. 'So we can go to his hotel room? What's so good about that?'

'Oh, Jimmy Gibbs, Jr. is the man. I mean I don't know anybody like that, girl. But there was this guy I knew, he raced dirt tracks, not stock cars but open wheeled cars you know, and he was racing once and a goat...' Keith appeared beside him.

'So do you want to go out with us sometime?' he asked abruptly. 'I don't do them goat things anymore!' The girls looked at each other then back at the two before shaking their heads and walked away. Keith buried his head in Ellis' shoulder and gritted his teeth. 'Why did you bring up the goat thing?'

'Hell, Keith,' Ellis held his hands up. 'I was just sayin'...'

'No one likes the goat story!' Keith protested. 'I was nearly arrested because of the goat story!'

'Okay, my bad...' Ellis looked up at Jimmy. 'Hell he's gonna get mad at me.'

'Let's get out of here,' Keith suggested. Putting his hand on Ellis' shoulder, the two left the mall just as Jimmy Gibbs Jr. began looking around, wondering where his young fans had got to. He then smiled and proceeded to flirt with a pregnant woman who began making excuses not to talk to him, saying she had to pick her son and daughter up from practice.

*

Coach waved goodbye to Tilly Franklyn, the mother of one of his students. Football practice had ended early today as many of the players had fallen ill. Collecting all the equipment and storing it away, Coach muttered to himself at how in his day, you'd need to have a limb sheared off before you could skip practice and you'd still be back the following week. He walked with the slightest limp, thanks to a knee injury back when he was young, which made it hard for him to actually play any sports. After everyone had left and after clearing everything away, he retreated back to his office where he sat down, breathing a great sigh of relief as his feet lifted from the floor.

Looking over, he wheeled his chair over to a miniature refrigerator where he retrieved a bar of chocolate. Next to the refrigerator there was a bin with a small basketball net over it.

'Time for some birthday chocolate,' he chuckled to himself. Licking his lips, Coach carefully unwrapped the foil that surrounded the bar, relishing in the anticipation of the first bite. The sweet smell drifted to his nose as he opened his mouth to take a delicious, savouring bite. The door burst open suddenly and Coach bit off more than he could chew, startled. He immediately began to choke.

'Oh, God!' cried the woman who had walked in. She had long blonde hair and gentle green eyes. She was a little smaller than Coach but was still a plump woman. She ran around behind his chair and put her arms around him. Squeezing hard on his large chest, she tried to dislodge the piece of chocolate. 'Come on, Coach!' she cried. Coach wheezed breathlessly. 'I'm not letting you die on me, not now, man!' She smacked him on his back and the piece of chocolate flew out and landed neatly in the waste bin, falling straight through the small hoop.

'Thanks, Ruth,' Coach said, coughing slightly. 'But, seriously, why did you just barge on in here?'

'I thought you were out practicing for the big game next week,' Ruth explained.

'Christ... the way those boys are playing we'd lose even if the other team was manned by a crew of rocks.'

'Well isn't it the coach's job to make sure they're good?' Ruth asked. There was a pause.

'What do you know about football?' Coach joked.

'Well not a lot, but I know a lot about you... I know it's your birthday and I know what you want, so I came here to give you this!' Ruth held up an envelope. 'I was hoping to surprise you with it... but you know.' Coach opened it and his face lit up with pure glee.

'You're shittin' me!' he smiled. Ruth shook her head. 'For real?'

'For real,' she nodded.

'You serious?'

'Hell yeah!'

'No joke?'

'Nope!' Ruth grinned, running to embrace him.

'Holy shit! Tickets to the Midnight Riders!'

'Well I thought it'd be nice,' Ruth explained. 'And they're playing at Whispering Oaks, so I it's a perfect gift because that's where we had our first date.' She tapped him on the end of his nose as she finished speaking.

'Damn girl! I think I may have to marry you!' The two laughed and hugged for a moment before stopping and looking tenderly at each other.

'Marry me, eh?' she asked.

'Ah, hell, I was just...'

'It's alright,' Ruth shook her head. 'Don't worry, I know what you meant. It was just nice to hear it.' Coach smiled at her and they embraced again. A few moments passed.

'So?' Coach whispered into her ear.

'So, what?' Ruth asked.

'What would you say?'

'Oh...' she looked away for a second, thinking about the question. 'I guess I'd say yes.'

'Really? Coach asked, soundly slightly amazed.

'Yeah...' Ruth nodded. 'I guess...'

'You guess?'

'Well we won't know unless you ask.'

'Oh right...' Coach said softly. He bit his bottom lip excitedly and then gently separated himself from Ruth. He winced slightly as he bent down on one knee, his good knee, before taking her hand. 'Ruth,' he said tenderly as sudden tears began to well in her eyes. 'Will you marry me?' Ruth blinked excitedly and tears streaked down her cheeks. She jumped up and down slightly before bending down to embrace him.

'You son of a bitch!' she cried merrily. 'Of course I will!' She let out a squeak of joy as she squeezed her new fiancé. 'Don't you tell me you've got me a ring!' Coach paused for a second.

'Alright I won't,' he laughed. 'But I'm gonna get you one.'

'No you don't!' Ruth protested. 'Don't you go buying me an expensive ring, I don't need it.'

'Yes you do,' Coach insisted. 'I want the whole world to know that I love you and we're gonna need a fancy ring for that.' Ruth blushed. 'Besides, you have expensive taste so I'll need it to match the rest of your things.'

'If I had expensive taste, why would I be engaged to you?' Ruth joked, leaning toward Coach to kiss him. The two shared a kiss before Ruth started bouncing happily again. 'I'm gonna go tell everybody!'

'You do that,' Coach winked at her, sitting back down on his chair. Ruth gave him a tender glance before leaving his office and screaming excitedly down the corridor. Coach chuckled as he heard her cry into the distance. He picked up the rest of his uneaten chocolate bar and the Midnight Riders tickets. 'Best birthday chocolate ever,' he said to himself, taking a bite out of the bar. He wasn't sure, but the chocolate tasted a lot sweeter now than it did before.

Savannah was now burning. People in the streets were running, fleeing from the carnage that surrounded them. The sun had only just risen. One week had passed and nearly the whole of the country was under siege. The United States was being destroyed from the inside by the infection. Military helicopters dotted the skyline, helping people escape. One helicopter was flying over the main street as people below chased after it, desperate for rescue. Onboard, the pilot was attacked by an infected passenger, and lost control. The helicopter slowed and then banked to the right suddenly, falling down to the ground. The people chasing after it stopped and started running the opposite direction to get away from it. The helicopter crashed into the street and slid over the road, the propellers chopping and slicing through numerous people, none of them infected.

Nearby, a lone Rochelle had filmed everything that had transpired. Holding the camera herself, she stepped out of the doorway she was hiding in and ran up close to get a better shot. As she approached the wreckage, a loud roar filled the air. Rochelle turned around just in time to see a car flying through the air at her. Jumping out of the way, she looked up from the ground she was now on to see the massive Tank that was roaring at her. Cursing to herself, Rochelle stood up with the camera and ran in the other direction as fast as she could, the Tank in close pursuit.

Rochelle ran through the crowds of panicking people, clusters of debris that hazarded the ground and pushed through the common infected that tried to get near her. Still on the main street out in the open, she decided to change tactics and attempted to outrun the tank in an alleyway. However, the beast's pursuit was relentless. She saw an open door in the alley and decided to head for it. Running through a kitchen, she took a frying pan from a stove and beat away the infected people as she made it through. The Tank crashed through the doors and Rochelle decided to run upstairs as fast as she could. Falling through some of the stairs, the Tank soon joined Rochelle in the corridor that led to the roof. Emerging outside on the rooftops, Rochelle looked around desperately. She was trapped.

'Oh God,' she gasped as the roar of the Tank followed her out the door. Just then, Rochelle heard a gunshot and lifted her arms defensively. The frying pan deflected a bullet shot by someone on the rooftop next to the building she was on. Rochelle looked over and saw a man in a white suit aiming for her. It was Nick. 'Hey!' she yelled at him. 'Try shooting some damn zombies!' Nick lowered his weapon. Rochelle looked through the door and saw the Tank approaching. 'Oh this is bad...' She looked over to Nick and then back at the Tank. She turned, throwing the frying pan away and ran full speed to the edge of the roof as the Tank burst through the door. Rochelle jumped as far as she could forward, through the air, but it was not enough. The Tank followed, falling off the rooftop and crashing to the ground. Rochelle began falling down through the air but her hand was caught by Nick, who securely held her and pulled her up. Her feet on solid ground, Rochelle breathed a sigh of relief. She checked to make sure the camera was still working and then sat down on the ground.

'Thanks,' she smiled.

'Yeah,' Nick nodded. The rooftop had a small roof garden with numerous plant pots and vegetable plots. Nick leant against one of the pots and reloaded his weapon. Rochelle, after taking a few breaths, looked out at the view from the roof. Savannah was in ruins. Smoke clouds were visible as far as the eye could see. The air was becoming smoggy and thick. The sounds were horrific; people screaming as they were being decimated by the infected, gunshots trying in vain to keep them away and the sounds of crashing by vehicles that attempted to transport people to safety. Rochelle swallowed and looked at Nick.

'So,' she said, 'what're you doing up here?'

'Building a plane to get us out of here,' Nick said sarcastically. Rochelle frowned and Nick shook his head. 'I figured I'd come here to die.'

'Why this rooftop?' she asked.

'Got some history here,' Nick said ambiguously. Rochelle tapped her camera with her hand nervously as she paced around the rooftop. 'Are you gonna stay?' Rochelle turned back to Nick, surprised by his question.

'What do you mean?'

'Look, no offence, lady, but I don't want any company.' Rochelle's eyebrows arched in surprise.

'Confident aren't you?' she commented.

'No,' Nick corrected her. 'I just know full well we're not going to get out of here.'

'We?' Rochelle asked. Nick rolled his eyes.

'Me,' he said. 'I don't see any point in giving anyone false hopes, including myself. Look out there.' He gestured to the view of the city. 'You'd be crazy to try and get out of here.'

'You'd be crazy to do it on your own...' Rochelle said softly. She looked at Nick and then bowed her head. Nick watched Rochelle as she stood there, tapping her camera. She suddenly looked up and stopped tapping.

'So we going or what?' she asked.

'Did you not just hear me, lady?' Nick stood up.

'Oh, please,' she interrupted. 'It's Rochelle.'

'I don't want to know your name,' Nick protested, 'because we're not going to team up.'

'I can get you some air time,' Rochelle grinned, holding the camera up. Nick looked away. 'So,' Rochelle said, pointing the lens to Nick. 'What's your story? What's your name?' Nick gave her a scornful look. 'You look like a... Billy-bob.'

'What?' Nick asked, annoyed.

'No... maybe... Richard? Richard Head?' Nick rolled his eyes again. 'Gaylord?'

'It's Nick,' he finally said. 'Nick.' Rochelle lowered the camera and smiled.

'Well it's nice to meet you, Nick.'

*

Coach made his way into the school, limping slightly as his knee was hurting. The hallways were full of infected people who decided to wait out the disaster there. Using a fire axe, he managed to cut through the couple of targets he ran into as he made his way to his destination. Turning a corner, he saw the door to his office was slightly ajar. He approached it slowly holding the axe firm. Taking a deep breath he kicked open the door and swung at the person inside.

'Hey!' his target cried. Coach changed the angle of the swing and ended up chopping his desk in half. As it fell to pieces, the person behind it stood up, hands outstretched. It was Ellis. The young man began spouting apologies. 'Sorry, mister, I... hey. Do I know you?'

'I don't think so,' Coach muttered, stepping over the desk. He opened one of the drawers and began searching through it.

'Hell yeah! I remember you! You used to teach gym!' Ellis said excitedly. 'Don't you remember me? I'm Ellis! Me and my friend, Keith, tried out for the football team. Keith ended up breaking nearly every bone in his body and that was before he got a hand on your balls.'

'Look, kid,' Coach said, not peering up from his desk. 'Do you really think this is the time to start looking back on the good old days when them bitches are out there?'

'Well you seem to be lookin' for somethin' important them out there have to wait for.' Coach sighed and rubbed his eyelids before continuing his search. Ellis pouted his lips and then continued to look around Coach's office.

'Yes!' Coach said happily, taking what he was looking for and putting it into his pocket. He stood up and went to leave.

'What ya got there?' Ellis asked. Coach paused by the door and turned around.

'Nothing,' he said irritably before stopping. He noticed Ellis had numerous cuts and scrapes on his arms and clothes and his knuckles were heavily bruised. 'What are you doing, son?'

'Me?' Ellis asked. 'Well, sir, I figured I'd go to my school since that's where me and Keith spent out whole childhood; see if I could find him but I couldn't.'

'How long have you been here?' Coach asked.

'Quite a while,' Ellis said. 'I figured we'd meet here because of all the memories... like this one time, to play a prank on the athletics squad, me and him filled up water balloons with our own-'

'I think that's enough,' Coach interrupted. He looked out down the dark corridor and sighed. 'Listen, how about we go look for him together?'

'Okay,' Ellis nodded. 'I was gettin' real bored here anyway. The chocolate in that fridge is disgustin'.' Coach frowned as Ellis left his office, yet he followed him out into the school.

*

Just off the west coast of America, the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, an enormous aircraft carrier, was positioned defensively. Helicopters, fighter jets and small boats were all leaving the Abraham Lincoln and heading for the shoreline. One helicopter, heading from the direction of open water, came in to land on the outer deck. As it slowly descended onto the helipad, Admiral Richard Jaeger stepped out onto the deck and adjusted his hat.

'God damn it I hate these bureaucrats,' he muttered to himself. As the helicopter touched down on the deck, the doors opened immediately and a man in an expensive business suit stepped out.

'Hello, Admiral,' said the Director, with a grin. 'Are you looking forward to getting this show underway?'

_And so it begins... again. I'd like to thank you for reading and promise you a lot more is yet to come. Any reviews, comments, criticisms are greatly appreciated. I love getting reviews, it boots my ego haha. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy what will be coming shortly. Thank you once more for reading. =]_

_Andy_


	2. Chapter 2

Two

Coach stepped inside the restaurant feeling slightly out of place wearing a suit. He could count on one hand the number of times in his life he had worn a suit like this; black trousers and jacket with a crisp shirt and neat bowtie, which was only clipped onto his shirt. He looked around the room, full of diners talking, eating and enjoying themselves. In the middle of the room he saw a man and a woman sat together opposite two empty seats. He made his way for them when someone tapped his arm.

'Excuse me,' said a young woman who was sat with her friends. 'Could we get some more wine please?' Coach's eyes widened in surprise.

'Do I look like a waiter?' he asked petulantly. The woman eyed him up before nodding.

'Well, yeah.' Coach walked off to his table without saying anything in response as his thoughts were hardly gentlemanly. As he approached it, the elderly couple sat there stood up and hugged him.

'My son!' Coach's father exclaimed, shaking his hand energetically. 'Congratulations!'

'Thanks, Dad,' he said, before hugging his mother. 'How have you guys been doing?'

'Oh you know,' Coach's mother, Gloria, said lightly. 'How are you doing?'

'Yeah,' Coach's father, Greg, added. 'How come you didn't tell us you were planning on proposing?'

'Well I wasn't,' Coach answered truthfully. 'It just happened and it... felt right.' Gloria looked to Greg and smiled.

'That's just like how your father proposed to me,' she sighed, resting her hand on his.

'Actually you were the one to pop the question,' Greg corrected her.

'Damn right I was!' Gloria slapped his hand. 'It's not as if you were going to do it!'

'I was taking my time,' he insisted.

'Three years,' Gloria looked to her son. 'Three whole years we'd been together and he still hadn't proposed. I can't tell you what I was thinking.'

'Thank God for that...' Greg muttered.

'I was thinking,' Gloria continued, causing Greg to roll his eyes, 'has he got another woman? Is he poor? Is he gay?'

'I think it's obvious I wasn't gay!' Greg laughed.

'I dunno,' Gloria shook her head. 'You always did like San Francisco and you watch cooking shows more often than football.'

'That's because you can't cook!'

'Another reason I thought,' Gloria raised her finger. 'Does he not like my cooking? Am I not good enough for him? Can you imagine; me not being good enough for him? Well we're here now aren't we? Happy as can be, right honey? Don't bring up the past like that I know how you get.' Gloria rubbed Greg's hand with hers once more and Coach leant back in his chair.

'Is this what I'm in for?' he asked.

'Oh yes, honey,' Gloria smiled. 'Oh yes you're in for many happy years like ours, right Greg?'

'That's right,' Greg nodded. 'Many... long... years...' Coach smiled and reached for the menu.

'So where's Ruth then?' Greg asked.

'She had a meeting so she said she'd meet us here.'

'You can't go walking into a restaurant without your fiancé!' Gloria shook her head.

'Well she wanted to make one of her...' Coach paused and sighed. 'One of her grand entrances.'

'Why does she want to do that?' Greg asked.

'She wants to show off her ring...'

At that moment, the doors opened and Ruth stepped inside. Her blonde hair had been curled exquisitely and her face was beautifully made up. Her dress was long and white that had tiny bits of glitter on it that shimmered in the light. Her heels matched the dress and she looked like a graceful movie star. However she did not act like one.

As the waiter asked if he could help her, she laughed and showed him her engagement ring.

'Jesus Christ I can see that rock from over here!' Greg gasped. 'How much did that cost you?' As Ruth made her way around the room, she stopped people eating and showed them her ring, saying things like; 'it's beautiful isn't it?', 'I'm getting married you know,' and 'I'm sorry to disturb you but don't you think this looks fantastic?' Eventually Ruth joined Coach and his family at their table, bouncing toward her seat. Coach stood up and pulled her seat out for her, and Ruth giggled.

'Such a gentleman,' she grinned before stopping the nearest waiter. 'A gentleman who brought me this ring! Don't you think it's lovely?' Coach sat her down and looked around the room, trying to ignore the fact that nearly everyone was staring at them.

'Hello Ruth, dear,' Gloria smiled. 'Would you like some wine?'

'I think she's had enough,' Greg whispered to her.

'Are you drunk?' Coach asked.

'Only on life, my fiancé, my life partner... my soul buddy!'

'Soul buddy?' Greg muttered under his breath.

'Wine, dear?' Gloria offered again.

'Oh, no thank you,' Ruth politely declined. 'Sorry I'm acting so strange but I have fantastic news!'

'Dear God, you're pregnant?' Gloria gasped loud enough for everyone to turn and look. 'You're not raising a bastard!'

'Oh no!' Ruth said suddenly, without thinking, shaking her head. 'Don't worry!' Gloria sat back down, relieved. Ruth held Coach's hand and smiled. 'Well we both have had this house we've had our hearts set on for years now. Before we both met we wanted to live in this house one day... So I have good news!'

'The owner's selling?' Coach asked, excited.

'No she's dead. Killed herself; shot in the head or something, but it's now on the market for dirt cheap!' Greg looked uncomfortable upon hearing this while Gloria kept a smile on her face, to be polite after how she recently acted.

'Well,' Coach nodded slowly. 'That's... defiantly news.'

'I've put a deposit down on it already!'

'You've what?' Coach asked, shocked. Greg began choking on his glass of wine and Gloria began rubbing his back.

'Why wait?' Ruth asked. 'If we hung around someone else could have shot in there!'

'Poor choice of words...' Greg shook his head.

'Well can't we at least wait for the blood to dry before jumping in her grave?' Greg shook his head once more.

'I thought you'd be happy,' Ruth said, her perkiness suddenly dispelled.

'Oh I am,' Coach nodded. 'I am it's just... a shock that's all... I mean this is all happening so fast... we've not even ordered yet.'

'Well it's fine!' Ruth smiled. 'We have the rest of our lives to talk about this, in our dream house!'

'Yeah,' Coach nodded. 'The... rest of our lives.' He looked over to his father who winked at him.

'It's not as ominous as it sounds,' he joked. Coach pondered the idea of being stuck with someone for the rest of his life.

*

'Keith?' Ellis cried. 'Yo Keith! Where you at?' Coach trailed behind Ellis, growing increasingly more tired of his cries. They had been walking through the suburbs for quite a while and had found no sign of anyone alive, or anyone alive who was not infected. 'Keith!' Ellis cried out again.

'Hey, kid,' Coach interrupted. 'Why don't we take a break from yelling? What do you say?'

'You're probably right,' Ellis nodded, massaging his throat. 'My voice is getting super tired!'

'You don't say?' Coach nodded, looking off into the distance, thinking. If they continued to go in the direction they were going they'd be right in the middle of Savannah. There would surely be someone there to help them there.

'What was that in your pocket?' Ellis asked. Coach kept staring ahead without looking around to his companion.

'I already told you,' he said quietly, 'it's nothing.'

'Y'see, I thought that,' Ellis nodded, 'but then I got to thinking; why would someone come back and grab something that's nothing, if you get my meaning?'

'It's personal,' Coach attempted to ignore him, hoping he would stop asking questions.

'Oh I see,' Ellis said. 'Well you can share if you like? I mean, I know we ain't best buddies or nothin', but I think it'd be good to get things off your chest.'

'I'd rather not,' Coach said firmly. Ellis finally took the hint and stopped talking.

After an hour of walking, the two finally made their way onto the main streets of Savannah. The violence, panic and chaos that had filled the streets not long ago had now been dispelled and only the faintest sounds could be heard in the distance. The wind carried the noise of gunshots, screams and explosions around the city, diluting them into the faint whispers that echoed around Coach and Ellis. Holding his fire axe tight, Coach took a sharp breath as he and Ellis stood there in the middle of the street surrounded by crashed cars and numerous bodies.

'What happened here?' Ellis thought aloud. Coach had the same thought but did not voice it. Looking around he saw no signs of life, not even someone infected.

'Where is everybody?' Coach muttered.

'On the ground,' Ellis observed.

A crash came from down the street, causing Coach and Ellis to jump and turn in that direction. Holding his axe up defensively, Coach looked over and saw the circular lid of a metal waste bin roll out from an alley and then fall to the ground.

'Think someone's there?' Ellis asked nervously.

'I don't want to find out,' Coach shook his head. 'Let's get out of here.' He started moving away in one direction but stopped and saw Ellis stepping over in the direction of the bin lid. He grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. 'God damn it we have to stick together!' Coach hissed. Ellis looked into his eyes and saw how serious he was. Serious eyes glared at him and yet, they were also so very afraid and sad. Ellis nodded.

'Okay,' he said. 'Okay...' Coach let go of him and led the way further down the street. Ellis stuck close to his side, looking around to see if he could spot anyone else who was alive.

*

Rochelle stepped onto the street, looking around for any sign of the infected. Everything had gone eerily quiet, not that she minded of course. The quieter it was, the easier it would be for her camera to pick up her voice. She filmed the main street, allowing the camera to savour the vacancy before her.

'Are you coming or what?' Rochelle asked. Nick stepped out of the doorway with a displeased look on his face.

'Just don't film me!' he insisted.

'Oh relax,' Rochelle smiled to herself. 'According to you we'll be torn to pieces so no one will ever see this footage.' She closed the camera screen and turned around. 'Unless it's found years later and they make a movie out of it. What would we call it?'

'The Blair Bitch Project?'

'Maybe,' Rochelle laughed. 'Because I can totally see us being killed and torn to shreds by all these zombies!' She extended her arms out wide as if to grab hold of all the empty space surrounding them.

'Where have they all gone?' Nick wondered.

'They all killed each other,' Rochelle said. 'It's how the infection works.'

Norah Hanham sat down in the meeting room looking very tired. Edward Deacon was sat at her side as usual while the rest of the attendants sat around the table, each appearing equally tired and worn.

'The flu is spreading at such a speed that it is nearly impossible to contain,' Norah said, her words opening the meeting. 'Information from CEDA now suggests that the point of origin where the first infected was recorded is in Pennsylvania.'

'Hold on a second!' someone interrupted. 'You said that it was coming from New Orleans!' Several people around the room looked at each other, nodding as they remembered.

'Most of the information we've been receiving about the infection,' Edward cut in, 'has come from CEDA. Since there have been greater variations in...' he paused for a moment to choose the appropriate word. 'Since there has been a greater variation in the changes that those infected have gone through, our assumption was that the virus originated in New Orleans and spread, slowly losing its potency and therefore explaining why we've not recorded any examples of some of these infected elsewhere.'

'So either CEDA is wrong,' Norah continued, 'or some unknown party has released a stronger, mutated form of the virus within New Orleans and the surrounding area.'

'Could be both,' someone else suggested, causing a hush to spread throughout the room. Norah took a breath and looked around the room.

'The infection is pretty general to start off with,' she said.

'When you're infected you get symptoms similar to rabies,' Rochelle told Nick as they made their way down the street. 'Then at some stage you... change.'

'These changes can be gradual,' Norah told everyone. 'Or, in cases of extreme mutation, they are rather dramatic. In any case, once someone is infected they lose all of their inhibitions and essentially become retarded.'

'Then they become angry,' Rochelle continued, 'and attack anything they see. People, animals... hell, even each other.'

'You don't say...' Nick said, sounding barely interested.

'However,' Norah continued in her meeting, 'CEDA has managed to develop a countermeasure to fight the infected.'

'Listen to what you're saying!' someone called out. 'Fight the infected? We should be trying to help them!'

'I think those infected are far beyond help,' Edward commented. 'We're trying to find a cure of course but there's not a whole lot we can do unless we can keep them at bay, now is there?'

'If CEDA's so unreliable with its information,' someone else spoke up, 'then how do we know this "countermeasure" is going to work?'

'We just have to trust the Director...' Norah said, her tone sounding overwhelmingly unconvincing.

At the same time, the Director was walking through the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln with Admiral Richard Jaeger following him. Jaeger was supposed to be showing him around the vessel; however the Director appeared to know exactly where he was going.

'Are your engineering teams preparing the biohazard countermeasures?' the Director asked.

'Yes,' Jaeger said irritably, 'but I don't see why we need them. Every survivor is quarantined and checked for infection before they are evacuated.'

'They may not be infected,' the Director said authoritatively, 'but that does not mean they are not carriers.' Jaeger sighed. The Director had been onboard his vessel for only a few moments and he was already getting on his nerves. 'The countermeasure can be deployed through the sprinkler systems and through the air vents.'

'Keep it out of the server rooms,' Jaeger instructed. 'Those computers are very sensitive.'

'Yes, Richard,' the Director waved his hand. 'We're having several shut off points so key systems are not damaged.' Jaeger grabbed the Director's arm, stopping him. The Director turned to look at him.

'It's Admiral,' Jaeger corrected him, through gritted teeth. The Director gave him a thin smile.

'Of course,' he said, shaking his arm loose from his grip. He turned and continued walking, leaving Jaeger behind to glare venomously at him.

Meanwhile; Norah stepped out of the meeting room followed by Edward.

'We're installing the countermeasure within the White House as we speak,' he said. 'Should the infected break in, we could activate the sprinklers and drive them out.'

'I hope it doesn't come to that,' Norah sighed. 'But I think my hopes are in vain.' She stopped in the corridor and looked piercingly into Edward's eyes. 'Why didn't they listen?' she asked.

'Even if we did quarantine New Orleans,' Edward said reassuringly, 'reports are saying the infection originated from numerous points across the country. There's nothing you could have done.' Norah shook her head.

'That doesn't make me feel better,' she sighed. Edward put his hand on her shoulder and looked tenderly at her.

'You'll sort this out,' he smiled. 'You've never let anything beat you before.' Norah smiled back and nodded.

'I just wish people would start working with me rather than against me.'

'The Director?' Edward asked.

'There's something strange about that guy, Eddy,' Norah continued walking. 'I can feel it in my gut.'

'How do you know all of this stuff about the infection, then?' Nick asked Rochelle as they made their way through Savannah. Rochelle gave him a sarcastic look and held up the camera.

'I'm a journalist,' she winked.

'Right,' Nick nodded. 'I should have guessed that.'

'Well I'm hardly dressed for appearing on TV,' Rochelle chuckled, looking at her pink Depeche Mode shirt and black jeans. 'You, though,' she looked over Nick's white suit, 'you're looking trim. What do you do?'

'Me?' Nick asked, pausing a moment. 'I'm... in between jobs.'

'Oh,' Rochelle looked forward. 'I guess we all are at the moment, aren't we?'

The two walked for a moment without talking before Nick broke the silence.

'So where the hell are we going?'

'My hotel,' Rochelle replied, enjoying the surprised look on Nick's face.

'This isn't really the time for _that_...' he noted.

'Oh you're such an ass,' she chuckled. 'They're evacuating people from there.'

'Really?' Nick asked. 'If you were staying there then why did you not leave earlier?' Rochelle held up her camera in response. 'You wanted to get some footage?' Nick's tone was one of disbelief.

'I needed to get just a bit,' she told him, looking back at him.

'That's fucking stupid, if you ask me...'

'Well I didn't ask you!' Rochelle said; her tone suddenly unusually serious. She turned her head away and took a breath. 'I made a promise to someone.' Nick looked at her but did not say anything. They continued to walk to the hotel in silence.

*

Coach and Ellis continued their cautious walk through the streets of Savannah. They just passed a flaming school bus with numerous burnt bodies inside; although none of them appeared to be children.

'Where are all the kids?' Ellis thought aloud. 'I've not seen any since this all began.'

'It was probably women and children evacuated first,' Coach suspected, looking back at the school bus as they walked on. The sight of the bus triggered something in his memory.

Coach was sat at home, watching the news. His apartment was relatively small; a cosy living area with two small matching sofas and a moderately sized television was joined to a kitchen area that had stools by the counter to double as a place to eat. An empty plate on the living room coffee table showed that Coach ate on the sofa that night as he did every other night. There were three doors in his apartment. One door was open and went to his bedroom, a standard double bed with a desk and wardrobe was inside. The other lead to a bathroom and the final door suddenly opened, Ruth stepping in from the outside hallway. She smiled at Coach and closed the door behind her. Coach stood and embraced her, kissing her passionately on the lips.

'Someone's had a good day,' Ruth giggled.

'It's about to get better,' Coach smiled before Ruth laughed and pushed him away jokingly.

'Oh you dirty man!' she laughed. 'You were supposed to make an honest woman out of me.'

'Alright then,' Coach lifted up his plate. 'Wash that for me.' Ruth put her hands on her hips, a playful look on her face.

'You'd better be joking,' she said. Coach moved around the sofa, placed his plate on the counter and hugged his fiancé once more. 'That's nice,' Ruth whispered. 'It's freezing outside.'

Coach and Ruth moved back to the sofa and sat down together, his arm around her neck. As they watched the less than romantic news reports about the number of flu cases rising throughout the country, Coach kissed her on the cheek to get her attention.

'I got a call from the wedding planner today,' he told her. 'I've paid the deposit so she's all yours. You can go crazy and have the wedding that you've always wanted.' Ruth looked to him, clearly very happy but there was a slight look in her eye that made Coach feel uneasy. 'Are you alright?'

'Yeah,' Ruth nodded, holding his hand tight. 'It's just... about the wedding...'

'What?' Coach asked, concerned.

'I think we should just have a small, inexpensive ceremony so that we can save up for the future.'

'Oh,' Coach said. 'Well that's fine with me.' Ruth smiled at him and looked prime to tell him something else that was important.

'I need to tell you something,' she said carefully, holding his arm. 'Do you remember that meal we had with your folks and I was late because I was at a meeting with the realtor?'

'Oh yeah,' Coach chuckled. 'And you acted crazier than kids on a snow day?'

'Well,' she continued. 'The meeting with realtor came after I had an appointment with the doctor.'

'What?' Coach asked, confused. 'Are you alright?'

'Oh yeah, yeah,' Ruth said carefully. 'I'm absolutely fine... for the moment.'

'What are you talking about?'

'I'm pregnant,' she said. Coach's eyes widened.

Coach's trail of thought was interrupted by Ellis yelling.

'Do you hear that?'

'What?' Coach asked, drawing himself back from his thoughts. After listening for a few moments he heard it; a helicopter. Looking around the sky he saw it in the distance, flying toward them.

'Hey!' Ellis yelled, waving his arms in the air. 'Hey! We're here!' He grabbed Coach's fire axe and waved it through the air, with Coach shuffling to the side to avoid being hit by the blade. The helicopter flew straight over them but slowed down slightly. It stopped over a tall building, a hotel from the looks of it and made its descent down. 'Let's go!' Ellis cried, running for it.

Coach and Ellis ran as fast as they could toward the hotel. Surrounding the building were many abandoned vehicles, the owners apparently leaving them there to get rescued. Some vehicles had not stopped and a petrol tanker was sticking out of the front entrance of the building, having crashed earlier. Survivors waiting to be rescued had set up small makeshift tents and bonfires around the building, which Coach and Ellis were now running around.

'Hey, kid,' Coach cried, stopping. 'Give me back my axe.' Ellis turned around, looked at the axe and then at Coach and nodded, extending his arm to hand it over. Suddenly, a short yelp came from the maze of abandoned vehicles.

'What was that?' Ellis asked, holding the axe tight. The two saw several vehicles in the distance shaking on their wheels; something was headed straight for them.

'Give me the axe,' Coach ordered. Jumping up onto one of the cars, a short, shuffling infected landed on its roof, letting out an inhuman cry. The force it made had set off the car alarm. 'Oh shit,' Coach muttered. The Jockey jumped forward and wrapped itself around Coach who stumbled and was pushed into the hotel. In the distance the screams of hundreds of people echoed all around. 'Get this bitch off me!' Coach cried.

Holding the axe, his hands trembling slightly, Ellis followed Coach into the hotel. The Jockey had pushed Coach against the tanker and Ellis made a swing at it but missed, hitting the metal. He made another swing, this time knocking the infected off Coach onto the ground. He then swung the axe and decapitated the monster in one swoop. Coach leant against the tanker, breathing heavily. In the distance he saw the infected scrambling over the vehicles to get to them. He then looked down and saw flammable oil leaking from the tanker.

'We gotta go,' Coach took Ellis' arm and ran for the open elevator, hammering on the button to take them to the top floor. As the doors closed, the infected swarmed inside the hotel lobby, running through the trail of leaking petrol. The trail ran outside and oozed across the ground toward one of the small bonfires, the meagre flames flickering in the wind.

'Nice work, kid,' Coach patted Ellis on the back.

'Thanks,' Ellis smiled. 'You know, I always wanted to be an axe murderer.' Coach looked at him slightly uneasily.

'Perhaps keep that between you and your Xbox,' he muttered, taking the axe back off him. Outside, the oil was mere inches away from the bonfire. One infected ran through the flames, sending hot embers and sparks everywhere. The oil trail ignited and flames shot past the infected, under the vehicles and through the hotel lobby to the petrol tanker until...

A massive explosion rocked the entire building. Flames shot out of the bottom and rose upward, shattering windows and burning infected. Inside, heading up the stairwell, Nick and Rochelle stumbled as the foundation shook, holding on to the safety rail as dust fell from the ceiling.

'What the hell was that?' Nick asked as Rochelle started recording everything.

The elevator alarm suddenly activated and the door opened for Coach and Ellis, about three quarters of the way to the rooftop.

'We gotta move!' Coach cried and he and Ellis ran for the stairwell and made their way up. As soon as they made their way up one flight of stairs a gunshot halted their ascent. Nick fired at Coach before Rochelle grabbed his arm to divert his aim.

'Watch it!' she cried. 'They're obviously not infected!' Nick eyed the two quickly and lowered his gun.

'Thanks, ma'am,' Ellis nodded.

'You two heading for the chopper, too?' Rochelle asked, filming them.

'Yeah,' Coach said with short breath. 'But we have to go now because it's already here!'

'Shit!' Nick cried, running up, taking two stairs at once. 'Are you coming or what?'

The other three broke into a run and climbed the stairs quicker than before. The flames beneath the hotel were spreading and the support columns were beginning to crumble and decay. The thick black smoke trail made its way up to the rooftop where the pilot of the helicopter saw it and began flicking switches in the cockpit. The four survivors ran faster and faster, with Coach lagging behind somewhat.

'Come on, Coach!' Ellis cried, taking the man's arm and putting it around his shoulder, supporting his weight. Rochelle looked back and turned around to support Coach's other side.

'Nick, we could use your help!' she yelled up the stairs but Nick did not stop. Instead he continued running. He was two floors away from reaching the rooftop while the pilot was getting ready to lift off the unstable building. One floor away, Nick wiped the sweat off his forehead. He was going to make it.

Nick burst through the roof access door just in time to see the helicopter lift off.

'No!' he screamed at it, running to try and grab the wheels of the helicopter but to no avail. It lifted off and went through the black smoke, flying away to safety. 'You bastards!' Nick cried, shooting his gun randomly through the air before falling to his knees and placing his head on the ground. 'Damn it!' he spat, throwing the weapon across the rooftop.

Coach and the others finally emerged, exhausted.

'Where's the chopper?' Ellis asked.

'It flew away,' Nick said, his face still on the ground.

'What's all that smoke?' Rochelle let go of Coach, filming the scene.

'The tanker that crashed into the lobby must've blown up,' Coach guessed, breathing heavily. The entire building shook violently and everyone lost their balance. Nick rolled over onto his back and put his hands over his face.

'Oh this is not happening,' Rochelle muttered to herself, becoming unsettled at the smog that was surrounding them. 'This is not happening... this is not happening...'

'I never should have listened to you!' Nick screamed at her. 'You should have let me die in peace! Now look at us! We've been left for dead on a building that's about to collapse!'

'Well maybe we should go back down?' Ellis suggested.

'Maybe you should shut up, you God-damn hick!' Nick yelled in response.

'Hey!' Coach cried, shutting him up. 'Be nice! We're all gonna have to work together now.' Rochelle turned around and leant against the fence that prevented people from falling off the rooftop. She slid to the ground and put her hands to her face, her camera swinging on the wrist strap. She did not seem to care that it was still recording.

'What the hell makes you think that we are going to work together?' Nick asked petulantly.

'Four's better than two,' Ellis noted. Nick looked around to Rochelle, who still had her face covered. He sighed and then stood up.

'Well then,' he muttered. 'Got a plan then?' The entire building shook once more.

'Hell yeah,' Coach said, gripping his axe with both hands. 'Let's get the hell outta Dodge.'

**Well, sorry about such a long time in between updates. I hope you enjoyed chapter two and if you did, I promise that you'll get more updates soon. Please review so I can hear your opinions, good or bad, I do appreciate them. Find out what happens to the survivors in the update next week!**

**Andy**


	3. Chapter 3

Three

Nick stepped inside the hotel room followed by his father, who was carrying the briefcase that they had just stolen from someone neither of them knew. In his other hand was a six pack of beer, the glass bottles clanging together in their cardboard holders. Peter, Nick's father, threw the single handgun onto the one of the twin beds that occupied the room followed by the case, it hitting the wall above the bed and falling onto one of the pillows. Nick flinched with the crashing sound it made as it hit the wall and looked over to his father who was already opening one of the bottles.

'Are you sure we should be throwing that around?' Nick asked as his father lay on the other bed, not taking his shoes off as he rested his feet on the duvet.

'Sure, why not?' Peter shrugged. 'I mean, we're just getting paid to get it and deliver it. Nothing was said about the condition it has to be in.' Nick looked over at the case and felt slightly sick. He made his way to the balcony and stepped out into the fresh air, taking in a large breath. 'Have a beer!' Peter suggested but Nick ignored him. He thought back to being stood on the rooftop of the restaurant, holding the gun at the man he had just stolen from. He remembered how horrified he felt when he saw him commit suicide by jumping off the roof edge. He had never killed anyone before and even though he did not physically push him, Nick was indirectly responsible for the man's death. He did not want to go into this to hurt anyone, just to make money. He would not have done it if he knew this would be the outcome.

Peter patted Nick on the back, causing him to jump. Handing his son a bottle, Peter smiled and held his already half empty beer into the air.

'A toast,' he smiled, 'for a job well done.' Nick did not raise his bottle; he just stared out at Savannah, feeling remorse.

*

Ellis walked over to Nick, holding his handgun. He gripped the muzzle and offered it to him.

'I think this is yours,' he offered. 'Coach won't let me use his axe so I doubt he'd let me use a gun.' Nick eyed Ellis closely, unsure of what to make of him. Ellis held his hand closer to Nick, waiting for him to take it. Deciding not to question him, Nick reclaimed his weapon, pulling the slide back.

'Thanks, kid,' he muttered.

'It's cool,' Ellis nodded before stepping closer to him. 'What's up with her?' he whispered, looking over to Rochelle. She was sat down, lying against the wall with her hands covering her face. She appeared to be very upset.

'I dunno,' Nick's eyes narrowed in slight concern. Stuffing his gun down the back of his trousers, he walked over to Rochelle and leant down next to her. 'What's up?' he asked. There was no response. 'Rochelle!' Nick shook her arm to get a reaction. Rochelle merely lowered her hands revealing her face, covered in soot, due to the black smoke that had now surrounded the entire building. The sky was no longer visible. She looked incredibly upset.

'Nick,' she spoke, stuttering with emotion. Coach and Ellis looked over to her. Rochelle grabbed Nick's arm tight, causing him to look down at her hand and then back up at her in confusion. 'Get me out of here... please.' Her face looked desperately serious.

'Okay,' Nick nodded, becoming more confused. 'Okay... Let's get you up first.' Helping Rochelle to her feet, Nick took her arm and looped it around his. Supporting her comfortably, Nick moved over to Coach and Ellis. 'What's the plan then?'

'About ten or so floors down,' Coach said, 'we got us an elevator. We can use that to get down.'

'Won't it not be working cuz of the fire alarm?' Ellis pointed out.

'We can shut off the fire alarm here,' Nick told them. 'There should be a circuit box that'll shut off the fire systems.' Handing Rochelle over to Ellis, who tipped his cap to her as he took her arm, Nick reached into his pocket and took out a small flashlight. The smog had made everything so dark that it was nearly impossible to get a clear look at anything on the roof. After a moment of searching he found the circuit box and opened it, shining his light on the various switches. 'We got a problem,' Nick called out. Coach joined him and asked him what it was. 'If we switch off the fire systems, _everything _goes. Alarms, sprinklers, you name it; they're gone.'

'That means this place'll burn down a lot quicker,' Coach summarised. Nick nodded grimly.

'With fire, the power to the elevators could get cut,' Nick continued. 'If that happens the alarms will sound and the zombies will come straight for us.'

'Zombies?' Coach repeated. 'You're calling them zombies?'

'Well what else are they?' Nick asked.

'Hell, man,' Coach laughed. 'Zombies don't run!'

'Runnin' zombies are a bit whack,' Ellis added.

'Whatever!' Nick cried. 'Look, are we doing this or what?' Coach looked at the switch and turned it off himself.

'It's time to do or die,' he looked back at Nick before gripping his axe. 'Alright, let's go!'

The demented scream of a Hunter cut through the black smoke, silencing the conversation.

'What the hell was that?' Rochelle asked anxiously. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a Hunter pounced on Ellis, knocking Rochelle away into a wall and making Ellis fall through the roof access door. Ellis tried to fight off the beast but lost his footing and fell down the stairs, causing the Hunter to let go of him and fall away.

'Ellis!' Coach cried, running for the door. Downstairs he saw Ellis lying on the flat midsection between floors.

'Where is it?' Ellis asked. He looked over and saw the Hunter leap at him once more from the lower level. Ellis kicked it in the head as it jumped and the beast fell again, this time grabbing Ellis' foot and dragging him away. Coach and Nick ran down the stairs in pursuit, leaving Rochelle on the rooftop. Ellis grabbed the support rail to stop himself falling and the Hunter let go, falling to the lower lever. Ellis got on his back and looked the Hunter directly in the eye as it pounced, jumping straight for him. A gunshot silenced the monster's scream as Nick shot it in the head while it was in midair, the corpse landing on top of Ellis. Pushing it off him and standing to his feet, Ellis then brushed his clothes down.

'Thanks,' he smiled at Nick who was looking down at the Hunter.

'What the hell is doing this?' he asked, shaking his head. Rochelle suddenly started to scream. The three exchanged looks and ran back upstairs to investigate. Emerging on the rooftop once again, Nick looked over and saw Rochelle, who had something wrapped around her, being dragged along the floor into the smoke. He jumped for her and grabbed her legs, trying to pull her back. Coach, breathing heavily, stumbled by the door while Ellis ran to help Nick.

'The axe!' Ellis called to Coach, who threw it to him as he stood there. Ellis swung the axe at the rope that was pulling Rochelle away, severing it from the source. As Nick helped her out of the sticky rope and to her feet, a Smoker emerged from the blackness and swiped at him, knocking him to the side. Ellis swung the axe but the infected hit him first, knocking him and the axe away. As it shuffled menacingly toward Nick, Rochelle swung her leg across the ground and tripped the beast over. Lying flat on its heavily mutated face, Rochelle stamped the beast's head into the ground. Getting to his feet, Nick looked impressed.

'Damn, girl,' he nodded in approval. 'Nice.'

'Let's just get the hell out of here,' Rochelle sighed, making her way over to Ellis and helping him stand up. Ellis thanked her and picked up the axe, handing it back to Coach. With that, the four began their descent.

'We gotta hurry,' Coach instructed as they made their way down. 'We lost a lot of time with those bitches causing a fuss.'

'If we hurry,' Nick added, 'we should be able to make it out of here before the whole building burns down.'

'The smoke's already made it up here, though,' Ellis pointed out, waving it out of his face. Rochelle remained silent, focusing on the stairs in front of her. Nick looked over at her, inquisitively. She was acting very unusual.

*

'You're acting unusual,' Peter told Nick as he turned around, leaning on the railing of their balcony. 'We got through it, what are you moping around for?'

'A man died, Peter,' Nick looked at his father seriously. 'Does that not bother you?' Peter looked at him, took a drink from his bottle and sighed.

'It that what all this is about?' Peter asked, gesturing to Nick. 'You didn't kill him, son.'

'No,' Nick acknowledged, 'but I held the gun in his face. I was the one who cornered him and gave him little choice. I...' He looked away, pain in his face. 'It's my fault!'

'What were you expecting?' Peter asked, frankly. 'Did you think we could just total his car, take the case and get away with it? Jesus... what were you expecting?'

'I've never hurt anyone,' Nick told him. 'I've stolen, I've cheated but I've never hurt anybody. Not once.' Peter took another swig of beer before heading back inside. Nick turned around and followed him. 'How many people have you killed?' he asked.

'What the hell?' Peter put his beer down on the desk and stood defensively. 'You're getting like your mother.'

'Well I've not run out on you yet,' Nick spat. 'But if you can be like this after what has happened then I can see why she did!'

'Keep your voice down!' Peter cried in a hushed tone. 'You want this whole floor to know what we've done?'

'What have we done?' Nick asked. 'What is in that briefcase? What is more important than that guy's life?'

'Now you listen to me!' Peter spat, taking his son by his collar and standing close to his face. 'I know you're hurting right now and I don't give a shit, to be truthful. You knew the risks when I invited you along to do this. You knew that it could get ugly but you said you didn't care because of the reward, remember that, Nicky? Do you? Do you remember about the millions that the boss has agreed to pay us for doing this?' Nick pushed his father away from him and stood back, allowing them both to breathe and attempt to relax. Peter turned away and went into the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. 'Take a walk,' he ordered.

'I might just do that,' Nick nodded. He took the gun from the bed and concealed it. He was determined no one else would get hurt. He left the hotel room with no intention of returning.

*

Coach stopped at one floor, breathing heavily again.

'The elevator stopped on this floor,' he told them. Everyone filed out of the stairwell and headed straight for the nearby elevator compartment. As he was the last in, Coach moved over to the control panel and hovered his finger over the ground floor button. 'Here goes nothing,' he said, lacking confidence. Pushing the button, the doors slid shut and the elevator began its descent. Coach looked at everyone and sighed. 'Guess we were lucky.'

'I guess so,' Nick agreed. Rochelle and Ellis looked at each other before looking back at the rest of the group.

'Well maybe we should introduce ourselves?' Rochelle suggested, sounding slightly perkier since she left the rooftop. 'My name's Rochelle.'

'Folks call me Ellis,' the young mechanic smiled. 'I run an auto shop with a couple of my buddies. We're also in a band. I play bass.'

'Oh yeah?' Coach wondered, with genuine enthusiasm. 'What kind of band are you?'

'We're mostly a tribute to the Midnight Riders,' Ellis said, scratching the back of his head.

'Who?' Nick asked Rochelle, who promptly shrugged.

'You're shitting me!' Coach's face lit up. 'I love them!'

'Really?' Ellis asked.

'Hell yeah! I had tickets to see them...' Coach's enthusiasm suddenly drained away. 'Before... y'know, all this happened.' There was silence in the elevator.

'I'm Nick,' Nick said, breaking the silence.

'Yeah,' Coach nodded. 'My friends call me Coach. I guess y'all can do the same.' He looked over to Rochelle and gestured to her camera.

'You a reporter or something?'

'Yes, I am!' Rochelle smiled, winking at Nick who had felt silly for earlier asking the same question.

'You gonna do a story on Savannah?' Ellis asked. 'Wanna film me and my band play?'

'Well,' Rochelle said slowly, 'maybe. I've got a lot of footage already. Now I just need to get it out of here.'

'Well this was the only evacuation plan I had heard of,' Nick shuffled his feet. 'So I'm out of ideas. You guys?'

'Hell, we just saw the chopper and followed it,' Coach said.

'You got any ideas, ma'am?' Ellis asked Rochelle, who was flipping the screen of the camera back and forth as she thought.

The elevator suddenly grinded to a screeching halt. The lights flickered off and the buttons no longer responded to any input. Smoke started seeping in from under the door and through the ceiling vent.

'Shit,' Nick spat. 'Why hasn't the alarm gone off?'

'I dunno but we need to get out of here before we choke!' Coach pointed out, swinging his axe on the door. He got the blade right between the fold of the metal door and managed to pry them open with relative ease. However as he did that, the alarms immediately began to ring throughout the hotel. 'Shit,' Coach muttered, keeping the door open with the length of the axe. The elevator had stopped slightly higher than the floor so there was a slight drop. 'Everyone out!'

Nick jumped into the smoke-filled hallway first, checking that it was clear of any infected. He was followed by Ellis who assisted Rochelle out of the compartment and then lastly Coach, who jumped out while pulling the axe with him, slamming the doors shut.

'What floor are we on?' Rochelle asked.

'Never mind that,' Nick cried, looking at the shadows approaching them in the distance. 'We need to run, now!'

Together, the survivors broke into a run down the hallway. The smoke made it very difficult to see what was ahead. Infected emerged from the haze ahead periodically but Coach managed to cut through them with the axe. Sprinting ahead slightly so she could get more footage, Rochelle looked back to see where the others were and saw a mob of infected chasing them. Looking back in front, she hoped to find an escape soon. Her prayers were answered as she saw the sign that indicated where the stairs where.

'This way,' she cried, leading them down a different hallway toward their supposed safety. Finding the door to the stairs, Rochelle kicked it open but stopped immediately. Coming up the stairs was a Charger, its one large muscular arm prime to smash into her. Coming down the stairs was a Tank, noticing her immediately and making a run for her. 'Run!' she screamed. The survivors continued running, with common infected practically standing on their heels. The Tank burst through the doorway, smashing all obstacles out of its way. The Charger followed, using similar methods to push past obstructions. Numerous infected were knocked out of the windows and fell to the ground.

Nick kept turning and firing blindly behind him to try and get some distance between them and the infected. Coach up ahead saw a set of kitchen doors and took everyone through them.

'This is not the time to eat!' Nick spat as he pushed through the doors, the Tank and Charger bursting through simultaneously after him. The four separated, making the infected choose who to go for. Rochelle and Ellis had the opportunity to arm themselves with frying pans that were left on the stove as the Tank went for Nick and the Charger for Coach. Clambering over the work surfaces, Nick attempted to outrun the Tank, which smashed through the extractor fan over the large ovens. The smell in the air told him that the gas was still on. Coach was slower than Nick and the Charger managed to catch up with him quickly, grabbing Coach and lifting him from the ground, smashing him back down like a child with a doll.

A rattling sound came from the extractor fan. A Spitter fell out of it, her mouth wide open, dripping acidic saliva onto the surfaces and floors. Ellis and Rochelle looked at each other and ran for it, Ellis smacking it with the frying pan. The Spitter fell to where the Charger was, who lifted Coach into the air once more. Rochelle swung her frying pan into the Spitter's protruding belly, causing her to scream and acid to erupt from her mouth, overflowing onto her face and the Charger. The monster screamed in pain and threw Coach across the room as its flesh burnt in the Spitter's acid. Some of it had landed or Rochelle's frying pan and was eating the metal away, so she slung it into the Charger's eyes, blinding it as the Charger and Spitter disintegrated on the ground.

Rochelle was then pushed away by Nick into Ellis' arms, who pulled her to the exit doors. Coach, on the other side of the room, managed to stand and make his way to the doors himself as Nick jumped over the acidic goo and waited for the Tank the run into it. The Tank skidded in the acid and fell into the ovens, with Nick running past it and taking aim. He fired a few shots and the whole place went up in flames, the explosion knocking him out of the kitchen and being caught by Coach.

'That's just what we need,' Coach said, 'more explosions!'

'We have to go!' Ellis ordered and the team continued running.

The hotel began to feel increasingly unsteady as the survivors found their way down a new set of stairs. As the building shifted, panes of glass spontaneously shattered and floors and ceilings crumbled away as if they were nothing. The group found themselves one floor away from the ground where they had been forced to stop as flames were heading up the stairs.

'Come on!' Rochelle cried, leading everyone into the first floor hallway. Ceiling tiles lined the floor as the whole place shook itself unsteadily. Looking out of the nearby broken window, Ellis saw that there was a grassy patch beneath them. He looked up and saw windows shattering, ducking back inside to avoid being cut by falling glass.

'We gotta jump!' he said.

'You're fucking kidding me,' Nick shook his head. Rochelle looked out of the window and sighed.

'It's the only way,' she agreed with Ellis. Nick held his hand to his face and suddenly the whole hotel lurched to one side. At the other end of the building, support columns finally gave way and tonnes of metal and concrete came crashing down. 'Ladies first!' Rochelle yelled over noise, leaping from the window and falling to the grass, landing in a nice neat roll. She stood up and looked up, filming the sight. 'Shit!' she yelled as she saw the hotel falling rapidly. The roof was crashing through all of the higher floors that were now crashing down lower and lower. 'Jump you bastards!'

Coach and Ellis jumped together while Nick hesitated a single moment before taking the plunge. As he did, the ceiling collapsed behind him and he landed on the ground with a roll similar to Rochelle's.

'Run!' she screamed as the rest of the hotel slammed into the ground with great force. The cloud of dust began to expand promptly from the destruction sight, the top of the hotel still falling into it. Chunks of debris fell to the street, crashing nearby. A huge slab of concrete landed to the right of the survivors, launching shards of the material into them. Rochelle held her camera behind her back so she could film the sight. In the air, pipes, concrete and furniture all started falling down to the ground.

'In here!' Coach ordered, running to a small electronics shop with a parked car outside. In the reflection of the rear window of the vehicle, Nick saw how close the dust cloud was getting. Coach smashed the front window with his axe and dived inside. Everyone else followed him in and ran toward the sales counter and jumped behind it. Rochelle vaulted over the surface and held the camera up to see the outside view. As the whole shop shook, the lights jarred violently and products fell from the shelves and shattered on the ground. Outside the large cloud of dust shot by, with pieces of concrete smashing into the road, once piece completely flattening the parked car outside the shop.

The noise was unbearable; Ellis held his hands to his ears and kept his eyes firmly shut, hoping it would pass quickly. The hotel was still crashing to the ground with sounds of twisting metal and cracking concrete helping put a picture in the heads of the survivors of what the sight would look like. A slab of concrete hit the roof of the building they were in, shaking everything and knocking Rochelle and her camera over. The debris cut through the building and crashed out of the other side. Pretty soon, the whole racket died down and all that was left was a soft ringing in the ears of the survivors. Nick closed his eyes and put his head back, sighing.

*

Walking alone on the moonlit streets of Savannah, Nick looked up at the clear sky and thought quietly to himself. He wondered how he got into this mess with his father. He knew that Peter would be angry that he had taken the gun, but he wanted to make sure that nothing bad would happen. Peter was impulsive and made rash decisions without thinking.

Nick found himself walking by the water and stopped for a moment, watching the large vessels that sailed by, effortlessly gliding through the water. He closed his eyes, absorbing the peace and quiet. As he took a breath of fresh air, a face formed in the darkness that he saw. It was the face of the man who had died. Nick watched him fall to his death and suddenly snapped his eyes open. Breaking out into a cold sweat, Nick wiped his forehead with his sleeve and looked around, spotting a drugstore in the distance. He headed over there to see if he could find something to help with his problem. He knew he probably wouldn't be able to sleep that night so buying some sleeping tablets would at least be something.

Stepping inside, a small bell rang. The store was only small; a few aisles of products stood adjacent to the counter, which was unmanned. Nick put his hands on it and looked around the back to see if anyone was there.

'Hello?' he called out. A young girl emerged from the back rooms looking visibly upset. She wore jeans and a cute light red shirt as a uniform. Her hair was black and her face was quite beautiful, despite the running mascara down her cheeks. Her nametag read "Zoey".

'Sorry,' Zoey sniffled. 'How can I help you?'

'Yeah,' Nick scratched his face, pretending not to notice how upset she was. 'Do you have sleeping tablets?' Zoey nodded and pointed out where they were. Nick followed where she was pointing and smiled. 'Thanks,' he said, turning his back to grab the tablets. He was halfway there when he stopped, closing his eyes and biting his bottom lip. Looking rather conflicted, Nick turned around and returned to the counter. 'Are you alright, miss?' he asked. Zoey looked at him, surprised at the question.

'What?' she asked. 'Oh no, I'm fine. Really...' Nick frowned at her.

'You're not a very good liar,' he took out a small handkerchief from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. Zoey let out a weak smile and took it, drying her tears with it. 'I should know,' he continued. 'I lie all the time.'

'Thank you,' she said gratefully, drying her tears and wiping away the makeup.

'So what's wrong?' Nick asked, leaning against the counter. Zoey shook her head.

'I don't want to bore you with my problems,' she said softly.

'Ah, that's a shame,' Nick sighed, turning away and leaning against the counter. 'I was hoping to bore you with mine.' Zoey looked at him and smiled again.

'Okay,' she said. 'I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours.' Nick smiled and nodded, looking back at her.

'Well, I've had a bit of a disagreement with my father,' he told her. 'I don't seem to know who he is anymore and today we did something that upset me and he doesn't really seem to care.' He paused for a moment and thought. 'I can't talk to him about it because he just shuts down or gets angry... so I left and went for a walk, finding myself here, looking for drugs.' He smiled at Zoey who smiled back. 'So what about you? You don't seem to be a local girl.'

'I'm from Pennsylvania,' Zoey said. 'I was in college for a while but I...' Nick leant forward, interested. 'I didn't do so well. I dropped out.'

'How come?' Nick asked.

'My parents had all these expectations,' Zoey explained. 'I let them down terrifically. I just ran away from home and found myself here.'

'In Savannah?' Nick asked lightly. 'I'm sure there are better places you could have gone.'

'Well I only had enough money to get here,' Zoey sighed. 'So I got a job at this store so I can afford to go further.'

'Why did you run away?' Nick asked. 'Couldn't you have just spoken with you parents about it?'

'Like you spoke to yours?' Zoey replied, causing Nick to raise his eyebrows as a substitute for saying touché. 'No,' Zoey continued. 'There was other stuff going on, too... I had some bad thoughts at that time... Real bad thoughts.' She rubbed her wrists as she spoke. 'I still do.' Nick looked at her caringly and leant back a bit from the counter, still resting his hands on it but standing straight.

'Why did you feel like this?' he asked. Tears began to form in Zoey's eyes once more. She shook her head, wiping them away.

'Are you close with your folks?' Zoey asked, suspecting that she knew the answer already. Nick folded his arms and shook his head.

'No,' he told her.

'Neither am I,' Zoey sighed. 'All my life I was never really close with them. My dad didn't teach me how to ride a bike or keep me away from boys and my mom never told me how to cook or use makeup. It was like I was a guest in their house, not a child.' Nick nodded as he listened. 'Then a few months ago,' Zoey continued, 'I found out that I was adopted. Just out of the blue like that my parents told me that I wasn't actually their child. They thought I was old enough to know.'

'Jesus,' Nick muttered.

'I asked about my real, my birth parents,' Zoey went on, 'but they said they died a few years earlier...' Nick sighed and looked at Zoey compassionately. He took his wallet from his pocket and took out some money, placing it on the counter.

'Go home,' he told her. Zoey pushed the money away.

'Thanks,' she said, 'but I needed to get away from those people. They lied to me! I can't go back now.'

'Your folks are probably worried sick about you right now,' Nick said compassionately. 'Adopted or not, they cared about you enough to raise you right.' Zoey looked unconvinced. 'If you go home, you'll show them how much you care for them and they will do the same for you. Listen, kid, you're too young to be thinking this way. You're hurting now because you think they don't love you because you're not their real child but you go back and prove yourself wrong. Go home.' Nick paused for a moment and sighed, suddenly he was thinking about Peter. 'Let your family take care of you.' Zoey looked at Nick, and then down at the money. 'Besides,' he continued, 'you're too good for this hick town.' Smiling, Zoey placed her hand over the money and pulled back, putting it in her rear pocket.

'Okay,' she nodded, tears were falling from her eyes again, however they did not appear to be ones of sadness. Nick smiled and tapped her hand gently before heading for the door. 'Wait!' Zoey called out before he touched the handle. Nick looked back at her to see a smile. 'Thanks,' she said. Nick nodded and opened the door. 'Don't you want your tablets?' Nick looked back, smiling and shook his head.

'You know what?' he said to her. 'I don't think I'll need them anymore.' He winked at Zoey and left, closing the door behind him. Zoey sighed and took out her phone and dialled a number. Lifting the device to her ear, she waited as the phone rang. Her sleeve slid down her wrist, revealing a mark of self-harm.

'Hello?' a voice on the other end asked. Zoey took a deep breath.

'Mom?'

Nick looked back up at the sky and sighed. He put his hands in his pockets and started walking back toward the hotel. His mood had been uplifted; he felt good about himself after helping out Zoey.

Making it back to the hotel, Nick took his key to open the door only to find it was slightly ajar. Feeling anxious, he took the gun and opened it slowly, stepping through when he knew that there was no one inside. The briefcase was missing and all of the bottles of beer had been drunk and left discarded haphazardly around the room. On the desk was a note from Peter. Nick lifted it and went outside on the balcony to read it in the moonlight. The note was short but to the point. "I can't trust you. Peter". Nick looked out onto the skyline and let the letter slip from his fingers and get blown away by the wind. He closed his eyes and slammed his fists against the support rails. Falling to his knees, he felt so abandoned, so alone. He had been betrayed by his own father.

*

Peering over the counter, Coach signalled the all clear as he and the others got to their feet. Rochelle and Nick dusted off their clothes while Ellis walked outside, taking his hat off as he saw the sight of the hotel. A tall, twisted pile of wreckage was all that remained, with debris littered all over the street. He looked down the other end of the road and saw all the dust and debris. Looking up, he gazed at the massive hole in the building they were in. Ellis went back inside, his hands trembling slightly.

'That was...' was all he managed to say. Rochelle put her camera down onto the counter and put her arm around him, comfortingly.

'I can't believe we got out of that,' Nick shook his head in disbelief. 'I thought we were goners for sure.' Coach smiled and patted him on the back.

'See?' he said. 'That's why you need friends like us.' Nick let out a short chuckle.

'You know,' he spoke softly, 'I think I'm starting to like you guys.' Rochelle smiled at him before noticing that he was looking at her and then she looked away, blushing ever so slightly. Nick smiled to himself before leaning on the counter, picking up Rochelle's camera. 'Can I have a look at what you've got?' he asked her. Rochelle gestured to the camera.

'Go for it,' she turned to Coach. 'You alright? You were a bit... hinky back there.'

'I got me a bad knee,' Coach said, holding up his hands. 'But don't worry, I won't slow you down.' Rochelle smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

'We're not going to abandon you,' she said sincerely. Ellis stood next to her.

'Yeah,' he added. 'We're all in this together. To the bitter end.'

'Wherever that may be,' Rochelle sighed, scratching her head and pacing through the store. 'We need better weapons if we're going to survive this.'

'I second that,' Nick looked up from the camera that was playing the footage of the hotel collapse.

'Any good?' Rochelle asked, nodding to the camera.

'Oh yeah,' Nick replied, sounding impressed. 'I like how you have such a steady hand even when holding the camera backward while running away.' Rochelle grinned and looked back to Coach.

'But seriously; all we have is, what? One handgun, an axe and a frying pan. We were lucky back there; we need to get our hands on decent weapons.'

'I hear you,' Coach nodded. 'Well there's a gun store near here.'

'Me and Coach were heading to it before we heard the helicopter,' Ellis told them.

'We could head there before deciding on what to do next?' Coach suggested. 'We could rearm ourselves.'

'I like it,' Rochelle agreed. 'Nick?'

'Let's do it,' he closed the camera screen and handed it back to Rochelle who smiled as she took it. 'Lead the way, big man,' Nick gestured to Coach, who stepped outside of the store and began walking down the road toward the gun shop.

*

Edward Deacon was sat in his office watching news reports of the spread of infection. The whole of the west coast of America had fallen and it was making its way toward the east, to Washington. Images of fires, people queuing up at evacuation centres and the armed forces were becoming commonplace in Edward's day to day life. The ever increasing number of estimated fatalities was no longer shocking him in the way they used to. Edward rubbed his chin, his fingers scratching the light layer of stubble. He had not shaved for a couple of days; there were more important things to do. However with the White House being in turmoil it was becoming harder to do this important work. His hands were trembling, his forehead was sweating and his mouth was dry.

Reaching into his desk drawer, Edward retrieved a bottle of whisky and a small glass. He promptly filled the glass and emptied it into his mouth. He then filled the glass again while he waited for the sharpness to leave the back of his throat. Putting the whisky back down, Edward reached into another drawer and felt around the roof of it, pulling out a little wooden box that was about the size of a small notebook. Placing it on the table and opening it, Edward retrieved the contents, a tiny straw, a razorblade and a glass vial with white powder inside.

Glancing up at his closed door, Edward dispersed a finite amount of the powder onto his desk before using the razorblade to make it finer. Arranging it into one neat little line, Edward used the straw and snorted the substance up his nose, his head twitching as he finished. For a few moments, he continued sniffing to make sure all of the powder was gone. Rubbing his nose, Edward finished sniffing and packed everything away, except for the whisky, which he took another shot of. Packing the alcohol away, Edward sat back in his chair quietly. A tear streaked down his cheek.

Suddenly someone knocked at his door and he wiped the tear away before composing himself.

'Who is it?' he asked.

'It's me,' Norah answered. Edward got up and headed for the door, opening it for her. Norah smiled at him as he let her in and closed the door behind her. 'Sorry for barging in like this,' she apologised. 'Were you busy?'

'Just watching the news,' Edward nodded over to the television mounted on the wall. 'Please, have a seat.' Norah sat opposite his desk while Edward moved over to the television to turn it off.

'We've fucked up, haven't we?' Norah asked him, before he switched off the monitor. On the screen were rows and rows of body bags. Edward turned to face Norah, unable to think of anything to say. 'Let me rephrase that; I've fucked up.' Edward sighed and leant against the wall, his head hung.

'No one could have predicted how bad this was going to be,' he told her. Norah shook her head and placed her phone on Edward's desk, tapping her finger on the wood. She stared at it, thinking.

'We have the major evacuation meeting in about five minutes,' she said. 'I know how it's going to go down; people are going to blame me for not being able to save the country or do anything effective. I mean what have I accomplished, really? I've managed to keep open a few sketchy communication lines with CEDA, who have really been working on their own throughout this and installed magic sprinklers in the White House to keep the bastards at bay if, no, _when_ they break in. I mean, Christ, Eddy; I have totally been overwhelmed here and everything is my fault.' Edward stood up to argue that it was not but Norah held her hand up. 'It is my fault,' she said with absolute certainty. Edward sighed and turned off the television.

'If you truly think that all this is your fault,' he said, 'then what are you going to do about it? It's easy to say what you should have done but what are you actually going to do?' Norah shook her head, shrugging, and flicked her phone across the desk somewhat.

'The country is a lost cause,' she sighed, looking grimly at him. 'I know it, you know it... hell; everyone knows it. I guess all that we can do is try to save as many people as possible and contain it within America.' Edward nodded in understanding.

'Shall we go?' he asked her. Norah continued looking grim for a moment before closing her eyes and nodding. She stood up and followed Edward out of his office and walked down the hall.

'Oh wait a second,' she stopped as they were a little way down the corridor. 'I left my phone in your office, you go ahead.' Edward nodded and Norah briskly went back to his office. She saw her phone on his desk and grabbed it before going back. However something caught her eye, making her look back. Her phone was covered in something slightly gritty. She then saw it; the faintest residue of white powder on his desk, where her phone slid to. Her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized it, Norah then took her phone back and left.

Wiping the powder off her hands, Norah made her way into the meeting her mind off topic as she entered. Taking her seat beside Edward, she shot him a questioning look, one he did not understand. Clearing her throat she looked at everyone else and proceeded with the meeting.

'We need to coordinate the evacuation plans with a little more precision,' she told them. It has become obvious that we simply cannot pick people up haphazardly as we were doing. We need more structure so; the navy have commandeered numerous cruise ships that will be stationed off the east and west coast, along with their own vessels. The new plan is that survivors will be taken to evacuation zones located in secure zones on land where they can be decontaminated before being taken from the country. These ships will then be able to take them to Europe where various governments have agreed to grant us asylum.'

'That's all well and good,' someone spoke up, 'but what's going to happen when France is swelling because it's taken on half our population?'

'Let's not kid ourselves here,' Norah said callously. 'Or armed forces have been decimated. It is simply not possible to send people into the hotspots anymore to rescue civilians. There will be points in every city where helicopters and other rescue vehicles will be able to pick people up but even with civilian help; we have to rely on people getting there themselves.' Norah paused for a moment. 'Current estimates show that about five per cent of our population will survive.' Everyone in the room let out noises of disbelief. Norah remained sat down, her hands firmly clasped together.

'What about our families?' someone else asked. 'Can't we help them?' Norah rubbed her forehead and sighed.

'For now,' she said, 'it's essentially every man for himself.'

The whole meeting room lit up with anger as people started yelling and arguing with each other. Norah rested her head in her hands and shot another look over to Edward, who was scratching his nose.

*

A single infected was stumbling around outside the front of Whitaker's Gun Shop. The billboard, displaying the slogan, "Your one stop army headquarters," was splattered in blood as Ellis whacked the infected with his frying pan.

'Yeah, that was good,' he giggled. The four survivors made their way to the front door, which was locked tight. The windows the all boarded up and sealed; there was no visible way inside. 'What do we do now?' Ellis asked, around for inspiration. The gun shop was located on a street with a long line of businesses running down the road. Each building was small, roughly the same size with the tiniest alleyways a little thinner than the width of a car separating them.

'I think I got the key,' Nick held his gun to the lock but Rochelle pushed it away.

'Are you crazy?' she asked him. 'This place is probably alarmed and do you want more of those zombies coming for us?'

'Still sounds so weird calling them zombies,' Coach muttered. Rochelle gave him a sarcastic look.

'We need to find another way,' she said. Rochelle started recording again, filming all up and down the street to search for inspiration.

'Alright, I got a plan,' Nick tucked his gun behind his trousers and reached into his inner suit pocket and pulled out a small lock picking kit. He bent down by the door and began his attempt at unlocking it.

'How come you have one of those?' Rochelle asked, to no response. She looked back at Coach.

'Who is this guy?' he whispered. Rochelle shrugged, looking back at him.

'Won't picking the lock set off the alarms too?' Ellis asked.

'Only if we open the door,' Nick said without looking away. 'If you can shut off power though, that won't be a problem. Check the roof.' While the gun shop was hardly a tall building, this was easier said than done. Still, Ellis looked at the boarded windows and began to climb up on the planks, making his way up at good speed.

'For God's sake be careful!' Rochelle called out after him. Ellis looked back and winked at her. He climbed up onto the roof and set his feet down on the gravel. Looking around he saw a door that went down into the building and a set of power boxes. He opened them and began shutting down the electricity. Ellis then looked to the alley side of the rooftop and laughed.

'Hey, guys,' he called out, 'there's a ladder leading down into the alley. I could have gone that way!'

'I'm surprised the power is still running,' Rochelle commented as she heard generators power down from inside the building. A click by the door meant that Nick was also finished picking the lock. Pushing the door open, he allowed Rochelle to enter first. 'Such a gentleman,' she said sarcastically. The inside of the shop was dark, since the power had been turned off. Coach followed Rochelle in while Nick told Ellis that he could turn the power back on as the alarm wouldn't go off if the door was already open. Standing inside the shop, Nick looked through the darkness as they waited for Ellis to turn the lights back on.

Switching the power back, Ellis ran for the edge of the roof to climb back down, using the ladder this time. The lights inside the store flickered for a moment before turning on full power. Over at once edge behind the counter was a man holding a combat shotgun at them. Rochelle screamed in shock, dropping the still recording camera onto one of the display cabinets as he pumped his weapon.

'Don't move!' he spat.

The three immediately stood defensively. Coach raised his hands in front of himself.

'Look, man,' he said carefully. 'We don't want any trouble.'

'Oh yeah?' the man asked. 'Well you break into here trying to steal and all you're gonna get is trouble!'

'We just needed a few supplies, that's all,' Nick insisted, slowly reaching for his gun.

'Hands where I can see them!' Whitaker yelled, pumping the weapon again. Outside, Ellis heard the commotion as he was climbing down. Nick raised his hands, leaving his gun tucked in his trousers.

'Look, we'll go,' Rochelle gasped, breathing heavily. 'We'll just go and you'll never see us again.'

'So you can come back with more of your friends?' Whitaker spat. 'So you scum can come back and rob me blind? No, no, no. Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I'm fucking stupid?' Rochelle shook her head, the rest of her body trembling somewhat. Nick stepped closer to her. 'Did I tell you to move?' Whitaker yelled at him, pointing the shotgun specifically at him. Nick stood still. 'Any of you move again and I'll shoot you, understand?'

Whitaker, still aiming his gun at them, moved over to the door.

'We can't have any more of those sick people getting in, can we?' he asked rhetorically. 'I managed to barricade myself in here with enough food and supplies to last me months. I didn't let my friends in. I didn't let my wife in when she was sick. She begged me as she fell was ill for me to give her a gun to defend herself or for her to end her own life, but why would I do that? I can't go wasting supplies so I watched her transform. It was horrible...' Whitaker appeared to be saddened as he spoke about this. 'However, if I did that to my own wife then what the fucking hell makes you think I'm just gonna hand over my stuff to you?' Whitaker looked at Rochelle's camera and saw the record light was on. 'You filming me?' he spat, stepping toward her. 'You from the government? You trying to steal my weapons?'

'No,' Rochelle shook her head.

'They've been doing that,' Whitaker explained. 'The government. They've been "commandeering" people's weapons to help fight them freaks out there, but then what are we gonna use to fight with? Fucking axes? Is that why you're here you bitch? You stealing from me to sell to the government?'

'No!' Rochelle yelled. Whitaker licked his lips and stood next to the door, pushing it closed gently.

'Oh I'm gonna have some fun with you,' he muttered menacingly as the door nearly closed. Just before it did, Ellis pushed hard on the other side, knocking Whitaker off his feet and firing a shot into the ceiling. Nick took out his gun but Whitaker swooped the ground with his weapon, knocking him over. Standing, he swung his elbow back and smacked Ellis in the face, knocking him down. He then kicked Nick in the head, sending his weapon across the floor. Coach ran for him, grabbing the man and knocking his shotgun away. He punched Whitaker in the face several times but was met with a brutal head butt which knocked him away. Whitaker then looked over to Rochelle who vaulted over the counter and kicked him in the face, causing him to stagger. Using all her might, she pushed him out of the door and slammed it shut, breathing heavily.

'You guys alright?' she looked down. Nick was unconscious next Coach who was rubbing his head. Ellis stood up, staggering slightly. His hand was clasped over his eye. Rochelle looked over at the ground and took Whitaker's combat shotgun.

'Well that was shit,' Coach spat out some blood from his mouth. 'But as long as we got our guns, we still gonna fight, right?' Coach bent down over Nick, tapping his cheeks gently. 'Hey kid, get up.' Nick opened his eyes and rubbed his head in pain. Rochelle smiled as she saw him stand up.

Whitaker burst through the door but Rochelle was quick and smashed him back with the butt of his own shotgun. Stumbling back outside, Rochelle slammed the door shut and locked it, however the damage was done. Whitaker was no longer a problem however the alarms were now blaring, for all the infected to hear.

'Shit!' she yelled.

'Alright we got about a minute before they break down that door so everyone get armed now!' Coach cried. Everyone split up around the store.

Rochelle found some black shoulder bags, which she threw to each of her companions to help carry their supplies. Shattering one of the glass display cases by kicking it, she took two handguns and tucked them behind her trousers. Equipping Whitaker's shotgun with a strap, she put it on her back, over her bag. Rochelle then took an AK-47 from the wall and secured that on herself. Rochelle filled her bag with ammunition and a first aid kit, one of many that were found in the bathroom of the store. With three extra kits, she handed them out to the others.

Outside, Whitaker tried to kick in the door. After several attempts he slammed it with his fist in anger. Meanwhile Ellis also took two pistols and fancied the shotgun Rochelle had so he took a similar one. Something in the distance caught his eye, a hunting rifle. Smiling; he took the weapon and began filling his bag with ammunition, throwing the frying pan away.

'Hell, this takes me back,' Ellis said to himself, thinking fondly of the times he went hunting. 'Did I ever tell you guys about the time me and Keith went hunting?'

'Ellis, sweetie,' Rochelle interrupted, 'can this wait until later?'

'Okay,' Ellis replied, smiling as he took more ammunition.

Managing to secure the axe, Coach helped himself to a large magnum pistol as he liked the feel of it. Accompanying that was an M-16 assault rifle and a large grenade launcher. As he stocked up on ammunition, Nick laughed and shook his head deciding against taking a second pistol and instead helping himself to a submachine gun. Taking one of Coach's M-16 rifles, he chuckled to himself.

'Man I always wanted this rifle since I was, like, nine,' he said.

'That's kind of creepy, Nick,' Rochelle winked at him, slightly flirtatiously. Nick blushed a little and then took an automatic shotgun to add to his arsenal. As he stocked up on ammunition, Whitaker screamed outside. With his back to the door, Whitaker shrunk to the floor in terror. The sight he saw was paralysing; hundreds of infected swarming down the streets from every direction, converging on his location.

'Let me in,' he called out. Ellis looked to the door but Nick shook his head at him. 'Let me in!' he cried again. The infected were so close now, he could hear their angry cries. 'Let me in!' he shouted before the door suddenly banged with infected running into it. Whitaker let out the most inhuman scream as the infected tore him apart.

'We gotta go, now!' Nick yelled. The window barricades were being destroyed by the infected. They smashed through the wooden planks, eager to get their hands on the four survivors. Rochelle grabbed her camera and followed the other survivors as they made their way up the stairs to the rooftop. Whitaker was no longer screaming when the door burst open, allowing hordes of the now bloody infected inside the store. The windows broke next, and more and more piled in, running up the stairs.

On the rooftop, Nick slammed the door behind him shut.

'That won't keep them out for long,' he said. Ellis turned off the power again and the alarm ceased, but the damage was irreversible. Rochelle looked over the edge of the rooftop with her camera. The ground could no longer be seen, instead there was a sea of infected trying to get at them.

'Well,' she sighed, turning back. 'What now?'

Using the alleyway ladder, infected started climbing onto the rooftop.

'Shit!' Coach cried. 'There's too many of them!' Running the other way, Ellis went to the opposite end of the rooftop and leapt over the gap between buildings, landing neatly on the other side.

'Run!' he yelled.

Turning and seeing Ellis on the other building, the other immediately ran for it. Leaping through the air, the survivors safely made it but continued running as the infected were jumping over the gap as well. Breaking through the roof access door of the gun shop, more infected swarmed out onto the rooftops, desperately hunting down the survivors.

Jumping over another gap, the group were not increasing the distance between the infected and themselves. Over another gap and then another, the infected were closing in on their prey. The survivors leapt over another alleyway but as Ellis was in the air, a Smoker in the far distance behind them, caught Ellis in its tongue. Ellis fell down the gap, smashing his back against the wall but was suspended in the air as the Smoker choked the life out of him.

'Ellis!' Rochelle cried, running back to him. Ellis was too low to be lifted to safety but was not high enough to not survive the drop if he fell.

'Hold on, kid!' Coach cried, taking out his magnum, firing at the Smoker. The common infected surrounding it made it almost impossible to even see it. The horde was now getting closer, leaving the survivors little options. Jumping back, Coach took out his axe at the same time the other infected jumped onto his rooftop. He had mere seconds to act. Swinging with all his might, Coach slammed the axe onto the tongue, severing it and causing Ellis to drop down. Landing on his feet, Ellis pushed the rest of the Smoker's tongue off him and looked up as Coach jumped the gap once more, followed by numerous infected.

'Run, Ellis!' Coach screamed. Ellis was now running parallel to his companions, them on the rooftops and he on the ground. He kept up with them, yelling at them how close the horde were to them. Then, jumping another gap, a rooftop door burst open and an obese Boomer waddled out at them. It opened its mouth, ready to vomit but Rochelle elbowed it out of the way, knocking it off the rooftop. The Boomer fell through the air and landed next to Ellis, exploding violently and sending green, sticky bile flying into everything nearby. Not getting it in his eyes, Ellis stumbled as the bile hit him. The whole horde screamed and broke off pursuit of the three survivors and immediately ran for Ellis, jumping off the rooftop to get to him.

'Shit!' Ellis spat, sprinting away from the buildings as fast as he could. Running down a different street, he looked desperately for somewhere to go.

'Ellis!' Rochelle cried, her and the other two stopping as they were no longer being chased. Nick looked into the distance and grabbed Rochelle's camera, using it to zoom in on the large building to the left.

'Go left,' he cried. 'Into the mall!' Obeying his instructions Ellis veered left, ascended some stairs and ran across a car park that was littered with tents, tables and a few military vehicles. Across the front of the mall was a banner with the words "CEDA Immunisation and Relocation Point." Sprinting through the makeshift evacuation centre, Ellis managed to make his way to the doors of the mall, running through and successfully getting inside. However, the infected followed him.

'Do you think he got in?' Rochelle asked, panting slightly. Nick looked doubtful. The last of the horde disappeared from sight, running around into the mall. Coach loaded his grenade launcher and let out a single breath, stepping close to the edge of the rooftop and looking over the streets, a determined look on his face.

'Well we got our weapons now,' he said. 'Time to put them to good use.' Nick gave Coach a doubtful glare while Rochelle stopped recording and closed the camera's screen, nodding supportively at Coach who then continued to talk.

'I ain't leaving him for dead.'

Looking over at the mall from their rooftop, the three failed to the large number of infected that were now loitering outside the main entrance.

**Thank you once again for reading. Stay tuned next week for more adventures of your favourite survivors. As always, please review to let me know where I am going wrong. Thank you!**

**Andy**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

It was another bright and sunny day in Savannah. Down one of the streets was a small auto shop that had just opened for the day. Stepping inside was Ellis, smiling at his co-workers and friends along with the receptionist who watched him walk past, her eyes firmly locked on his rear. Putting his favourite cap neatly on his head, Ellis immediately set off to work. There were three cars in the shop that day that needed some sort of repair, nothing too taxing for the team that worked there. Ellis got underneath a small Eyewitness 10 News van, fixing the many faults the van was suffering from. To the front of the van, the bodywork was severely damaged. The van looked as if it had run into something. The front lights were all shattered and the windshield was completely cracked. Looking underneath the van, Ellis noticed that the vehicle's brake fluid had been completely drained over time from a small leak. Finding this odd, he pulled himself out from under the van and wiped his greasy hands onto his clothes.

'Hey, Keith,' Ellis called out. Keith emerged from around the corner. 'Where's the owner of this here van?' Keith shrugged.

'They were some big wig reporter types,' he scratched his head as he spoke. 'Said they'd be back in a couple of days.' Ellis sighed and rubbed his own forehead.

'Well,' he explained, 'cuz it looks like they've been breaking their car quite a bit. It's gonna cost them extra.'

'Just fix it,' Keith told him, 'and we'll charge them whatever we want. They look like the type of people who can throw money around.'

'Okay,' Ellis nodded, feeling that Keith's plan was slightly dishonest. He turned back but Keith stopped him.

'You cool for going out for a bite later?' he asked. 'My girl's got someone she wants you to meet.'

'Another girl?' Ellis asked, grinning slightly. Keith winked at him.

'A hot one.'

'Sounds good,' Ellis nodded. 'Can't wait.' He then went back to the van and continued working, feeling excited about the evening.

*

Running through the food court, Ellis knew that it was not a good time to get something to eat, as there were hundreds of infected behind him who wanted exactly that. Firing blind pistol shots as he ran, Ellis found himself becoming tired very quickly. He dodged tables as he made his way through the food court where the infected simply knocked them out of the way or leapt over them. In the distance was an escalator; Ellis' next target. Reaching the foot of the now motionless stairs, he bolted up them as quick as he could. At the top on the second floor was a small waste bin, which Ellis eyed closely. As the stairs forced the infected to funnel upward in single file, they were slowed down as they each tried to ascend the stairs at once. Reaching the top, Ellis looked down and saw them slowly making their way up. Pulling the bin to the mouth of the stairs, he kicked it down, the heavy cylinder rolling down and knocking over the infected that got in its way, causing a huge problem for them back down on the first floor.

Using his newfound head start, Ellis turned and ran in the first appealing direction; past the empty, looted stores and facilities. He saw a door that went to the management area, so he made his way there, slamming it closed as he went through. Sprinting down the long, white corridor, Ellis encountered some stray infected that were falling around the hallway and the various offices. Shooting them with relative ease, Ellis pressed on, looking for a place to hide. Coming to a t-junction, he stopped to look both ways. In one direction there were more doors and in another was a Jockey.

The Jockey overpowered Ellis immediately before he had a chance to react. Struggling while the beast laughed hysterically as it squeezed him, Ellis tried bashing it against the walls to loosen its grip, to no success. Finding it hard to breathe, Ellis stumbled down the corridor desperately searching for a way to get the infected off him. Crashing through a door he ran into a room with a few common infected standing around. They instantly made their way for him. Ellis managed to kick one of the three out of the room, it crashing against a wall and slumping down while the other two began to claw and scrape. Ellis could not handle them by himself and soon fell to the ground as the infected began to mercilessly assault him.

At that moment, two gunshots rung through the air and the common infected were dispatched. A hail of bullets then made their way to the Jockey and it soon fell off Ellis, dead. Disorientated, Ellis looked up and saw a man in stained and tattered racing overalls, aiming his weapon at him.

'Hell, you ain't no mutant,' the man observed, putting his gun away and holding out his hand to help Ellis off the ground. His vision still blurry, Ellis could only just make out who the figure was. At first he could not believe his eyes; what he was seeing could not possibly be true. Then Ellis thought he may have died and gone to Heaven as the person standing in front of him, holding his hand out with his iconic racing overalls, trim beard, neat moustache and very light brown hair was Ellis' hero; Jimmy Gibbs Jr.

*

Still on the rooftop of one of the small shops, Coach, Rochelle and Nick were debating their next plan. Their discussion was becoming rather passionate as Nick did not share the same intentions as his companions, choosing to take a more realistic stance on the situation than Coach and Rochelle.

'We should just get the hell out of here,' he told them, fists clenched. 'I mean, look at it reasonably; he's dead!'

'We don't know that!' Coach cried. 'You don't know that! Is that what being in a team means to you; leaving your friends behind?'

'He wasn't my friend,' Nick said rather coldheartedly. 'He wasn't yours, either. He was someone we teamed up with, that's all.'

'How can you say that?' Rochelle asked, clearly disgusted by his attitude.

'We're working as a team, Rochelle!' Nick gestured toward the mall. 'He took one for the team but he's gone now. If we go over there to try and save him then we'll just end up getting killed and his sacrifice will be in vain!'

'Are you even listening to yourself?' Rochelle shook her head at him. 'Are you hearing what you're saying?'

'If we don't look out for each other what makes us any different from them bitches?' Coach asked.

'I am looking out for you,' Nick insisted. 'Christ, we need to look out for each other or else we'll all die but going on a mission inside a confined building to try and rescue one person is not looking out for him or yourselves; it's suicide!' Nick took a breath, rubbing his face. 'It's not as if we'll go in there and find him hiding in a closet or something. If we lived long enough we'd either find him dead or find him turned into one of them. Now I for one don't want to waste any time because we need to find some shelter for the evening. The sun's setting in a few hours and I'm not sure what those things are like during the night but it's going to be a shit lot harder to keep them at bay in the dark.'

'It'd be easier if we had a fourth person,' Coach said, his tone very matter of fact. Nick rolled his eyes and put his hand to his head, sighing.

'We're going in, Nick,' Rochelle told him. 'We have to try and save him.' Nick shook his head, knowing that he was never going to be able to convince them.

'You can come, too,' Coach added. 'I mean, three is better than two, right?'

'Three is better than one in my case,' Nick corrected him. Exchanging looks between the two, Nick finally sighed and gave them a curt nod. 'Might as well die with you idiots than on my own.' Rochelle frowned at him but looked thankful that he was joining them.

'So what's the plan?' Coach asked. 'It's probably not a good idea to run in at the front where they all are.'

'This place was a small base for CEDA,' Rochelle told them, adjusting her camera. She was rewinding old footage, looking for something particular. 'I filmed this place shortly before all this happened, when I was still looking for a story. You know; "the survivors tale" and all that.'

'What's your point?' Nick asked. Rochelle shot him a distasteful look.

'My point is,' she continued, 'I think I saw something around the back while interviewing people that would... there it is!' Rochelle stopped the footage from rewinding and tapped the screen, flipping it around so that the others could see. The paused image was of a man being interviewed, however in the background was an elaborate network of scaffolding that extended as high as the screen could show. Nick's eyebrows rose as he looked at the image while Coach grinned and clapped his hands.

'That's our way in, then!' he said. 'Let's go!'

'Can I see that?' Nick asked, reaching for Rochelle's camera. Handing it over to him, she sighed.

'Looking for a flaw in our plan?' she asked him as he examined the screen. 'I know what you're going to say; it might not be there anymore, it might not reach the rooftop or it might collapse while fatty here is on it!' Rochelle gestured over to Coach.

'Hey!' Coach moaned.

'Well we can just improvise something,' Rochelle went on to say, ignoring Coach's glaring looks. However, Nick was not listening to her. His hands trembled slightly as he held the camera, examine the image to make sure what he was seeing was what he thought it was. It was the man being interviewed, he recognised him. He knew him well, or at least he thought he did. It was his father, Peter.

Nick's mind was racing. He assumed Peter was dead since he had not heard from him after he had vanished, a reasonable assumption considering the current climate in Savannah. He had accepted that Peter was dead and actually felt better when he thought that he was dead and now here he was; alive and well. The timestamp on the image told Nick that the footage was taken two days ago and considering that this was CEDA evacuation centre, he could very well still be alive. He could also still have the briefcase; Nick could not be sure as he could only see Peter's head in the shot.

Handing the camera back, Nick sighed.

'Let's go,' he said, now more enthusiastic about heading toward the mall. Maybe he could find out where CEDA had transported the survivors to.

*

It was the end of the day and Ellis and the others had finished all their work. The only people left in the auto shop were Ellis, Keith and the receptionist. Stood in the garage, Ellis was putting away some equipment when Keith joined him.

'You all set?' he asked him. Ellis turned around, looking confused.

'For what?' he queried. Keith gave him a flat look.

'For going out tonight?' Keith reminded him. 'My girlfriend is setting you up with her friend. She's hot. Don't you remember?' The receptionist stepped into the garage.

'Goodbye, Ellis,' she smiled, waving and walking out. Ellis watched her walk out and then looked back to Keith.

'I don't fancy that anymore,' he sighed.

'What?' Keith protested in disbelief. 'How come?'

'I dunno,' Ellis shrugged. 'Just don't really like the idea of being set up with someone.'

'You were all for it this morning,' Keith pointed out. 'What's changed?'

'I dunno,' Ellis shrugged once more. 'I guess I just... I'm happy as I am, truth be told.' Keith sighed, scratching his forehead irritably.

'Fine,' he said. 'I'll call and cancel. They're gonna be pissed off though, you know that.'

Ellis gave Keith an apologetic look before he walked off into one of the offices to make the phone call. Ellis continued to put away the rest of the tools and equipment and moved to the large garage door. Stepping outside, he pulled the door shut and locked it, the entire place sealed for the day. Walking to his small truck, Ellis looked behind him and saw Keith walking up to him.

'Well,' he said angrily. 'I guess I don't have any plans this evening.'

'What's up?' Ellis asked, not wondering how Keith got out of the shop before he did.

'Girls gotta stick together, bro,' Keith told him. 'You cancel on her so she cancels on me.'

'Aw, I'm sorry,' Ellis said genuinely. 'How about we go grab a bite?' Keith closed his eyes and then nodded.

'Yeah, sure,' he agreed. Ellis jumped into the back of his pickup truck and pulled off his messy shirt, finding his favourite clean one and pulling it down over his head. His body was slim and toned and he had a rather large scar on his back that ran down from his left shoulder to under his pants. It was an old scar and definitely not a birthmark.

'Let's go!' Ellis smiled enthusiastically, getting into the driver's seat and starting the engine.

*

To the back of the mall was the atrium, a large open space that housed numerous shops over several floors. On the ground was an elaborate promotional display with a 1968 Dodge Charger taking centre stage. Considering the disarray that surrounded the area; bodies, debris and general destruction, the car was in remarkable condition. Hanging from the ceiling were banners with Jimmy Gibbs Jr. on it, stood confidently with his arms folded and legs apart. Running underneath the bright banners, Jimmy and Ellis made their way into a small bookstore. Moving around the rearranged bookshelves that formed a makeshift barricade, the two arrived in the somewhat secure backrooms. Dotted around the small room were a few crates accompanied by some books and a small refrigerator. There was also an upturned table, which Jimmy put on its side and pushed it to the doorway, forming another barricade.

'How you doing, kid?' Jimmy asked. Ellis let out a relieved breath, falling onto one of the crates and attempting to absorb everything that was suddenly happening. 'That's a hell of a black eye you got there,' he said, referring to the injury Whitaker had given him. Looking up at Jimmy, Ellis let out a vague croak, unable to speak. Reaching into the fridge, Jimmy took a bottle of water and handed it to Ellis. 'This place must've been the break room or something,' Jimmy hypothesised. 'I've been holding out here since all this shit began. You're the first person I've run into who isn't... one of them.' Ellis gave Jimmy a grateful look, still unable to find the will to speak. 'So what's your name? You out here on your own?'

'N-no,' Ellis shook his head after swallowing some water. 'I mean I'm not on my own. M'name's Ellis, Mr. Gibbs.'

'You know who I am?' Jimmy asked, not sounding too surprised.

'Oh yeah!' Ellis nodded enthusiastically. 'I'm, like, your number one fan, sir!'

'Oh please,' Jimmy waved his hand, 'no "Sirs" or "Mr's." Call me Jimmy.' Ellis nodded but still found it difficult to say.

'Okay,' he replied. He was sat in front of his idol, the man he had respected for nearly all his life. 'It's just... I'm a real big fan! I've been to see you so many times. I even came here a few days ago to get your autograph.'

'Really?' Jimmy asked. 'I'm sorry; I don't remember. The past few days have been exhausting.' Ellis nodded understandingly. His fear had been momentarily replaced by excitement; the joy of being sat opposite Jimmy was overwhelming. 'So you're not on your own?'

'Oh, yeah,' Ellis smiled, 'I met some people on the way; they're my friends. We've not been together long but we were working well together.'

'Where are they now?' Jimmy asked. Ellis sighed.

'We got separated outside,' he explained. 'Zombies chased me in here. I think they got away safe.'

'Well at least someone did,' Jimmy sat down on a different crate. 'So many people have died...' Ellis nodded and drank some more water. A moment of silence passed before Jimmy leant forward. 'We need to get out of here,' he told Ellis, who in turn leant forward as well.

'There are too many zombies outside,' Ellis told him, 'we won't survive just walking out the front door. They'd kill us.'

'I know that,' Jimmy nodded, 'that's why we're not going to walk out. We're gonna drive.' Ellis looked confused. Jimmy tilted his head in the direction of the doorway, smiling somewhat. 'My car,' he elaborated. 'We're gonna use that to get the hell out of here. With it we can drive through or outrun them bastards.'

'That's such a good idea!' Ellis grinned. 'How come you ain't left before?' Jimmy looked slightly embarrassed.

'Well,' he explained. 'There's a couple things wrong with the engine. Since I drive cars like that for a living I'm ashamed to say that I can't fix the bastard. Plus I need to get a few more supplies.' Ellis smiled at him.

'As luck would have it,' he said, 'I'm a mechanic.'

'You are?' Jimmy beamed, he could not believe it. A mechanic had practically landed in his lap.

'Yup,' Ellis nodded. 'I'll fix the car for you; then we can find my friends and get out of Savannah!' Jimmy's smile disappeared. He patted Ellis' leg and sighed.

'Look, kid,' he said, 'I know you care about those people but they're probably long gone by now.'

'No they're not!' Ellis insisted. 'You don't know that.'

'Trust me, Ellis,' Jimmy said solemnly. 'They've probably already made their own plans now and are getting the hell out of here. We should do the same.' Jimmy groaned as he got to his feet, stretching his back. He continued talking, mentioning something about a few spare parts that the car needed before he could get it running again but Ellis did not hear him. He was thinking about Nick, Rochelle and Coach. They surely wouldn't abandon him, would they? They'd come look for him. It was too soon to just give up on them now, right? Ellis, looking heavily conflicted rested his head in his hands as he thought. He couldn't imagine his friends suddenly abandoning him like that; well maybe Nick but he didn't know him too well. Then Ellis realised; he didn't know any of them that well and they didn't know him. They had only been together for a few hours after all, not long enough to form a special bond. Why would they risk their lives to rescue him when they did not really know him? Ellis put himself in their position and asked himself: would you go back to attempt to help? Ellis thought about it...

*

Comfortably sat in the back of his modest pickup truck, Ellis looked up at the stars while Keith hastily ate his burger. Ellis got a chilli burger and was savouring the taste. The evening was a beautiful one. The sky was clear and full of stars with not a single cloud visible. Behind them was a large forest, with the leaves in the trees rustling together in the gentle cool breeze. Ellis liked it here; it was peaceful. In front of them was a large field. The sound of crickets chirping was relaxing, making Ellis feel slightly drowsy. Hearing Keith take another massive chunk out of his burger, Ellis sat up and began to eat his own, albeit much more politely with smaller bites.

'This is a pretty sweet place,' Keith told him through a mouthful of meat.

'Yeah,' Ellis nodded. 'I come here sometimes to relax or to think.'

'Oh yeah?' Keith swallowed his food. 'What about?'

'Just stuff,' Ellis said vaguely. 'I think about mom and dad, school and work...' He paused for a moment. 'I think about stuff I did and the choices I made.'

'I never knew you were such a deep thinker,' Keith commented, thinking for a moment. The cool breeze subsided somewhat. 'Do you think you ever made the wrong choice?'

'Oh no!' Ellis cried. 'I mean, yeah maybe sometimes I wonder what life could have been like if it was a little... different. But right here and now; I'm really happy.' Keith nodded as he listened to his friend.

'What if things change?' he asked.

'Things won't change,' Ellis shook his head.

'What if they do, though?'Keith asked him once more. 'You can't expect things will stay the same forever, it just doesn't work that way.' Ellis sighed.

'Well if things do change I dunno what I'll do,' he told him. 'I guess it depends on what changes.' Keith nodded as he listened. 'As long as I have my job and my friends like you, nothin' will be too tough to handle.'

Keith smiled at Ellis and nodded. The two continued to eat their meal. The rustling in the trees and bushes returned, the noise relaxing Ellis. However, where the rustling returned the breeze that caused it did not. Sitting up slightly Ellis looked around to see what made the noise to look down the barrel of a double barrelled shotgun.

'Shit!' he gasped, shuffling backward.

'The fuck you doing on my land?' the farmer asked. 'This is my land, private property.'

'We didn't know,' Keith told him.

'Hey, man,' Ellis said shakily, 'we'll just go if you want.'

'Shut up!' the man spat. 'You're always coming here! I seen your truck pulling in down here frequently! Why you coming here all the time in the middle of the night, huh?'

'We won't come back,' Keith said but the farmer acted as though he didn't hear him.

'We just came here to relax,' he told him.

'_We_?' the farmer repeated. 'How many more of you are there?' He pushed his gun forward when Ellis decided to act. He kicked the shotgun up into the air and threw the burger at him, the chilli sauce getting into his eye.

'Go, Keith!' he yelled, jumping out and pushing past the farmer. The two got into Ellis' truck and he began to drive away as fast as he could. Wiping the sauce out of his eye, the farmer took a blind shot and fired on the truck before it got away. Ellis looked behind him and saw that they were not being followed. 'You alright?' he asked him. He looked over and saw Keith holding his arm, blood staining his clothes. 'Shit, you been hit!' Ellis cried.

'I'll be okay,' Keith shook his head, dismissing the injury.

'The hell you will!' Ellis cried. 'I'm taking you to the hospital.'

After a brief drive the two arrived at the hospital. Parking in the emergency zone, Ellis got out and put his arm around Keith, pulling him toward the emergency room.

'Sir!' someone yelled out. 'You can't just park there!' Ellis, angry with the man's attitude looked at him up and down.

'Tow it,' he told him, believing Keith's injuries were more important than his car. Inside the emergency room, Ellis sat Keith down on a chair as he was in too much pain to move. Running over to the reception he pushed past some people and spoke to the nurse.

'My friend's been shot!' he told her.

'Sir, you have to wait your turn,' she told him.

'Damn it, he's been shot and is bleedin' damn it!' The nurse sighed.

'Where is he?'

'I sat him down there,' Ellis pointed.

'I'll send a Doctor,' the nurse did not even look to where he was pointing. 'Now will you go and wait in line?'

A sudden shriek of terror interrupted the transaction and made the entire emergency room go quiet. Looking over to the door leading to the surgery wing, everyone heard the commotion of heavy violence and pain. Bursting through into the room, causing everyone to jump was a pregnant woman; Tilly Franklyn. She was now a Spitter. Sending acid everywhere, people started to scream as things burnt around them. The nurse got covered in the acid and began to scream in agony as it destroyed her flesh and bones. Ellis dived out of the way and ran to Keith, lifting him from his chair and pulling him out. The Spitter caught up with him and swiped at them but Ellis kicked her away and ran to his car. Getting inside he started the engine and began to drive as the Spitter retched acid onto the side of the vehicle. As Ellis drove off the door began to disintegrate and fell off. After driving a little more, the wheels buckled and the entire car came to a miserable stop, still falling apart. Taking Keith in his arms, Ellis ran down the street as fast as he could.

*

Norah was pacing the corridors worriedly. There was very little that she could now do for the country; she had to rely on the armed forces to do their bit. Washington was now under the influence of the infection. The White House was near empty as people who had left the previous evening never showed up the following morning. Norah arrived there to work and apparently, Edward had never left. Stepping out of an office, Edward walked into Norah, looking surprised.

'You startled me,' he tried to speak lightly, given the situation. 'I was just about to head to my office, would you care to join me?'

'Actually, Eddy,' Norah sighed, 'can you come with me to my office?' Edward nodded and followed Norah. As they walked he looked out of the window, a grim expression on his face.

'We gave it a good shot,' he said dejectedly. Norah stepped inside her office and offered Edward a seat. Sitting at her desk she put her hands together and looked at him, deadly serious.

'The other day when we had the evac meeting with the others, I went into your office, remember?'

'I do,' Edward nodded.

'I put my phone on your desk and something was stuck to it when I lifted it up; a fine white powder.'

'Oh?' Edward looked slightly worried.

'Look, Eddy,' Norah sighed, gently massaging her eyelids. 'I trust you more than I trust anyone else in the building, in my life, even. We've known each other longer than I can remember so I'm just going to be blunt out of respect. You can tell me anything, you know that right?' Edward nodded.

'Of course,' he said. 'And you know I take that very seriously. You were the first person I came out to, after all. I trust you completely as well. It's why we've been so good together, politically.' Norah wet her lips slightly.

'So you don't have anything you want to tell me?' she asked solemnly.

'I don't think so,' Edward smiled. 'You know I can't keep secrets from you.'

'Oh, really?' Norah asked. 'Because, what I felt on your desk, I thought it was something like cocaine.'

'Cocaine?' Edward repeated, sounding shocked. 'That's absurd! You know I'd never risk my integrity or your reputation by doing drugs.'

'Really?' Norah asked.

'Really,' Edward nodded. 'I am drug-free and perfectly able to my job, uninhibited.' Norah nodded slowly, a painful look on her face. Reaching into her desk drawer, she pulled out and placed on her desk a small wooden box that she had found earlier in Edwards room. Not enjoying Edward's look of horror when he saw it, Norah sat back in her chair.

'We both know what's in there,' she sighed, giving him a questioning look. 'Why, Eddy?' Looking plainly at Norah, Edward licked his lips and shuffled in his chair.

'With everything that's been going on lately,' he explained, 'I needed something to take the edge off... I didn't mean to get hooked on it but I need it to function at my best.'

'Come off it, Edward,' Norah spoke dismissively. 'You're sounding like an addict.'

'I am an addict,' he told her. 'I make no illusions to myself that I am in control because I am not; it's _that_!' He pointed to the box. 'All I know is that I am no good to you right now during this crisis when I'm coming off it.'

'It will kill you!' Norah protested.

'Oh fuck you, Norah!' Edward shouted, standing from his chair suddenly, making her flinch. 'Do you really think I'm going to live long enough to die from this stuff? I mean; Christ, we've got millions being mutated into abominations out there! Canada has been fucked by this, it's spread to Mexico and South America, this part of the world is entirely fucked, Norah! So I think me taking a bit of coke is the last of your fucking problems!'

Norah stood up, moved around the desk and slapped him forcefully. She was so angry with him; her hand left a red mark on his face. Stepping back slightly, Edward glared at Norah venomously.

'How can I trust you, now?' she asked. 'If you've lied to me about that then what else have you lied about?'

'Don't try to pin your inability to defend this country against that magic flu on me!' Edward roared.

'I'm not!' Norah cried. The was a brief moment of silence while she composed herself. 'I know it is my fault, all my fault. But you let me down, Eddy. You let me down.' Edward shuffled slightly on the spot. Norah was no longer angry, she was more upset. Walked past her, Edward took back his box and left the office without saying another word. Norah leant on the desk, tears welling in her eyes. 'Shit...' she sighed.

*

Infected stumbled and fell dead as Coach, Nick and Rochelle shot them all dead. Around the rear of the mall there were significantly fewer problems to deal with, so in a matter of moments they arrived at the scaffolding. Rochelle's plan seemed to be working so far, the scaffolds were still standing and indeed went up toward the rooftop of the mall.

'We can go up there,' she spoke with slightly short breath, wiping the sweat off her forehead. 'Then we can get down into the mall and look for Ellis.' Rochelle looked around for a moment. 'Where's Nick?'

The rear area of the mall car park had numerous tents and trailers, just like the front. Nick was inside one tent investigating. In this particular one were numerous beds, forming some sort of makeshift ward. On a table were papers with bold red words stamped on them; terminated. Seeing it made him feel slightly sick so he left and went continued looking. He had to know where everyone went.

'Nick!' Rochelle called out behind him, causing Nick to stop and close his eyes in frustration.

'What is it?' he asked, turning around. 'I'm just looking!'

'Ellis might not have a lot of time,' she insisted, heading for the scaffolding. 'Come on!' Nick sighed and looked to his left, seeing a large trailer. Instead of following Rochelle he went inside.

'Where's Nick?' Coach asked, climbing a ladder.

'He's coming,' Rochelle nodded, following him. The scaffolding appeared slightly rickety; it was made of metal tube supports and simple wooden planks for walkways. At the top of this ladder was a level of planks that went around the mall. They had to walk a little bit over them to get to the nearest ladder to ascend to the next level. This system appeared to go up as far as the mall did.

Inside the trailer, Nick ignored abandoned laptop computer that had long since run out of power and flicked through drawers and cabinets. The trailer was a essentially a portable office, although it still smelt foul, like most trailers from this part of America, Nick thought to himself. After a moment of haphazard searching Nick had found nothing. Smashing his fists on a table in anger, he jolted a computer, which he had failed to notice was plugged into a socket. The screen turning on, Nick looked over at it, suddenly optimistic. There was an open video file that had been paused. Resuming playback Nick was looking at a face unfamiliar to him; the director of CEDA.

'-orders,' the Director continued talking. 'Finally, teams will come by periodically to evacuate the survivors that you have been holding. From your area, survivors will be taken to New Orleans where special facilities have been constructed to handle infectious agents. They will, from there, be evenly dispersed to other evacuation zones near the coast where they will be airlifted...' Nick flipped the screen down, he had heard enough. He had to get to New Orleans and quick if he ever wanted to see Peter again. He realised that he might have already been rescued but Nick knew he still had to try.

Nick also discovered what the foul smell was inside the trailer; as emerging from the bathroom door was a Charger.

'Oh my God,' Nick gasped.

Storming out of the trailer, Nick ran for the scaffolding as fast as he could. Rochelle and Coach, who were already on the first level, looked down on him.

'Where have you been?' she called out. The trailer ripped apart answered her as the Charger burst out, following Nick, who jumped onto the ladder and climbed up. The beast crashed into the scaffolding, knocking everyone off balance. Rochelle and Coach held onto pipes as Nick continued climbing. Reaching the same level as the two, he stopped by them.

'What the hell were you doing?' Coach cried.

Suddenly, the whole scaffolding lurched and from where Nick had been, began to fall apart.

'Oh shit...' Nick gasped.

'Run!' Rochelle ordered, storming for the nearest ladder. Running ahead of the collapsing metal, the survivors barley had any time to get up. A fall from this height would kill them for sure. Rochelle and Nick jumped onto the first ladder they came to, bolting up to the top but Coach continued running forward, climbing the next one he came to in a few hundred yards. Rochelle reached the top first and helped Nick up, then continued to dash to their escape. Coach started climbing, slightly slower than the other, younger survivors.

'Come on, Coach,' Nick yelled out, 'pretend that when we get to the top, the roof is made of chocolate!' Reaching the top, Rochelle and Nick pulled the man up as they continued running. There were only two more levels left. Climbing a nearer ladder, all three survivors made it to the next set of planks where climbing upward would put them on the rooftop. However, the only ladder they saw going up was to the right, and had just been taken down by the falling scaffolding. Running as far as they could to the end, the survivors were trapped.

'Now what?' Coach yelled. Nick got on his hands and knees.

'Climb up on me and you can reach it!' he cried.

'I'll crush you!' Coach declined. Not having time to argue, Rochelle climbed up and jumped into the air, pulling herself up. Coach then lifted Nick up as the scaffolding had nearly all collapsed. Reaching up as far as he could, Coach could not grab Nick's outstretched arm.

'Come on!' Nick yelled.

'Move over, Shorty,' Rochelle said to Nick, reaching out for him. Coach grabbed Rochelle's hand just as the scaffolding fell beneath him. Unprepared for the weight, Rochelle nearly fell off but was caught by Nick at the last second. Dangling in the air, Coach looked down and watched the whole of the scaffolding they had been on collapse into a massive heap. He let out a massive, hysterical scream.

'A man of my size should not be in this position!' he screamed.

'You're telling me!' Rochelle gasped, struggling with his weight. Nick managed to pull them both up onto the rooftop and they all lay on the ground, resting for a moment. Panting heavily, Nick looked to Rochelle.

'We're never doing one of your plans again!' he gasped.

'Deal,' Rochelle nodded. Coach got up and took a deep breath, nodding to the roof access door.

'Well guys,' he said, 'it's now or never.'

'We have no other way of getting down anyway,' Nick sighed, standing up and helping Rochelle to her feet. 'Let's get going.' Coach opened the door for them and they all went down together.

*

Cans of gasoline, food rations and first aid supplies were loaded into the trunk of the Dodge Charger. Slamming the lid down, Jimmy patted Ellis on the shoulder after he moved around to the front of the car. There were slight mechanical difficulties that had prevented the car from moving before, a deliberate retardation to prevent someone from stealing it from the mall during the night.

'Never thought I'd have to steal my own car,' Jimmy commented, appreciating the irony. 'Good thing I ran into a handy mechanic.'

'We are gonna go look for my friends, right?' Ellis asked, wanting definite confirmation.

'Sure we are,' Jimmy nodded, not sounding completely genuine, not that Ellis noticed as he was too blinded by his adoration of him. 'The more the merrier, right? I'm sure we can fit an extra three people in the back. Might be a bit tight, but oh well. We'll manage.' Ellis gave him a weak smile and continued working on the engine.

*

A few days had gone by and Ellis was sat with Keith in his house. The entire town had begun to fall apart with news reports telling horrific stories of the flu that had been going around making people crazy and mutating some others, like he saw in the hospital. Keith was lying in Ellis' bed severely unwell. He had a high fever. Ellis put a damp washcloth over his head. Keith's eyes opened slowly; he had been asleep for a few hours.

'How you feelin'?' Ellis asked. Keith shook his head.

'Shit,' he told him. Ellis nodded and continued to care for him. 'I'm gonna die, Ellis.'

'Lots of rest and plenty of liquids,' Ellis ignored him. 'That's what mom always said is the best medicine.'

'Not for this,' Keith grabbed Ellis' arm. 'Not this.' The two looked at each other grimly. 'You've seen the news. There's no stopping it once you get the symptoms and I got the symptoms.'

'I can't let you die!' Ellis yelled, tears forming in his eyes. 'I just can't.'

'I wasn't saying that,' Keith told him. 'I want you to kill me.'

'What?' Ellis cried in disbelief.

'What happens if I turn into one of them crazies or somethin'? It'd be safer if I...'

'Shut up!' Ellis yelled, a tear falling down his cheek. 'If I ain't gonna let you die I ain't gonna kill you!'

'Then give me a knife or something!' Keith insisted. 'I'll do it myself!' Ellis got close to Keith.

'I ain't gonna do this!'

'You need to move on,' Keith told him, catching Ellis off guard. He did not understand what he was saying. 'You know sometimes I don't get you, Ellis. You always different every time I see you; sometimes you want to be set up, other times you hate the idea altogether.' Ellis frowned at him, wondering what that had to do with the current situation. 'You need to move on, man. I ain't gonna be here much longer. Like it or not things are changing and you're gonna have to adapt if you wanna survive.'

'I don't think I can,' Ellis shook his head.

'Then you'll end up like me!' Keith coughed. Ellis stood up and took his empty glass.

'I'll get you more water.'

Stepping into the kitchen, Ellis ran the faucet. Where television and radio had all but cut out, they still had running water... for the time being. As the glass filled he looked over to the knife rack. He contemplated killing his friend who was in so much pain, but he could not imagine how he would cope without him. Ellis knew he was being selfish but just could not stand the thought of being without him. He was weak and he knew it. Ellis knew that Keith would be a good friend to him and put him out of his misery if there was no other way. Ellis wondered if he was a good friend or not. The water began to overflow in the glass and Ellis turned off the faucet.

Back in Keith's room, Ellis handed him the glass and sat next to him, thinking. He continued thinking for a few more hours while Keith fell back asleep. Using all his might he went back down to the kitchen and took the sharpest knife he could find. Standing over Keith his hands trembled as he prepared himself. He raised the blade up and with one powerful swipe he swung the knife down to Keith.

Stood over him, the knife in his hand, Ellis let out a loud scream.

*

Coach led Nick and Rochelle into the upper levels of the Atrium of the mall. Rochelle, who was filming their progress, sighed.

'I never thought I'd see this place again,' she muttered to herself, looking over at the large banners of Jimmy Gibbs Jr. She shuddered as she remembered her encounter with him and stood close to the railing, looking down over the side. On the ground she saw the Dodge Charger and Ellis stood over the engine. 'Oh my God, it's Ellis!' she exclaimed. Running down the nearest stairs, Rochelle called out to him. Ellis looked up and saw his friends running toward him. He could hardly believe his eyes and dropped the tools he was using and ran for them. Rochelle was the first to make it to the ground floor and she embraced him as Nick and Coach joined them moments later. Nick gave Ellis a slightly jealous look while Rochelle had her arms around him. She let go of him and kissed him on the cheek. 'I'm so glad you're okay.'

'Yeah,' Ellis nodded, 'you too. I can't believe you guys came back for me.'

'Of course we would!' Coach insisted. 'We would never leave you or anyone else behind.' He looked over to Nick who rolled his eyes and nodded.

'Why didn't you think we'd come?' Nick asked.

'Jimmy thought you wouldn't,' Ellis said rather sheepishly.

'Jimmy?' Coach asked. 'As in, Jimmy Gibbs Jr.?'

'Yeah,' Ellis said, sharing Coach's enthusiasm.

'Who?' Nick asked Rochelle who shook her head at him.

'Don't ask,' she said.

'Hot damn!' Coach cried. 'Is he here now?'

'I sure am,' Jimmy said, causing Coach to jump in surprise. He turned around and saw Jimmy Gibbs Jr. stood before him, holding supplies for the car. Packing them into the trunk he waved.

'Dear... God...' Coach shook his head in disbelief. He turned to Nick and Rochelle. 'This man is an American hero.'

'If the laws of nature would allow it, I would bear his children,' Ellis added making everyone feel suddenly uncomfortable.

'So,' Jimmy broke the silence. 'You all are taggin' along eh?'

'I guess so,' Rochelle looked to the car. 'It's gonna be a tight squeeze.'

'There ain't nothin' wrong with a tight squeeze, young lady,' Jimmy stood close to her, winking.

'Hey!' Nick pushed him away from her. 'Show some respect.' Jimmy suddenly raised his weapon to Nick's head causing everyone to step back.

'How about you show me some respect, boy?' he spat. Nick narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, putting his head on the muzzle of the gun.

'Well?' he asked casually. 'Are you going to shoot?' Jimmy, surprised by Nick's lack of fear, hesitated. Nick moved fast and disarmed him, kicking the man away. 'Asshole.'

Jimmy fell backward and landed on the ground. Irritably, he stood up and gestured to Ellis.

'I help your friend here and this is how you treat me?'

'Let's start over,' Coach suggested, proceeding to introduce himself, Nick and Rochelle.

'I swear I've seen you before,' Jimmy said to Rochelle who rolled her eyes.

'You've met?' Ellis asked, totally disbelieving. 'That's incredible.'

'Why's that?' she asked.

'Round these parts,' Coach explained, 'Jimmy Gibbs Jr. is as famous as Elvis.'

'Or the President,' Nick added, jokingly. However Jimmy took his comment seriously.

'Now you're getting it!' he winked at him, moving over to Rochelle. 'So where did we meet?'

As Jimmy flirted in vain with Rochelle, under the watchful and glaring eye of Nick, Coach stepped over to Ellis and patted him on the back.

'You alright, kid?' he asked. Ellis looked up at Coach, all of a sudden slightly emotional.

'I'm just so glad you came back,' he told him, embracing him suddenly. Coach, not really knowing what to do just patted him on the back again. Ellis stepped away from him and composed himself, clearing his throat. 'Sorry,' he said. 'I didn't know what to think.' Coach smiled at him.

'A reporter, eh?' Jimmy asked Rochelle as they stopped by a closed video store. 'Were you one of the lucky ones who got an... _exclusive_ interview?' Rochelle could not believe what he was saying. She shook her head.

'I didn't, oh well poor me. Maybe next time.'

'Maybe when this is all over you and me could sit in front of the couch and watch a movie together?' Jimmy suggested, stepping over to the locked door.

'I'll pass,' Rochelle declined.

'Come on now,' Jimmy winked at her. 'Nothing's more romantic than a nice cuddle in front of a DVD.' Jimmy kicked the door open, a move he soon regretted as it activated blaring store alarms.

'You idiot!' Rochelle spat. In the distance the wail of the infected echoed around the Atrium. 'Are you really that stupid?'

'Ro!' Nick called out. 'Hurry the hell up!' Rochelle and Jimmy ran for the Dodge Charger. Ellis slammed the hood of the car down.

'Is it fixed?' Jimmy asked.

'As fixed as it's gonna be,' Ellis replied, failing to enforce any confidence. As they went to get inside, a Smoker tongue wrapped around Coach and dragged him away. In the distance infected ran around the corners. Using his hunting rifle, Ellis shot the Smoker, who was a few stories up, dead. Coach stood back up and ran for the car. Jimmy was already in the driver's seat.

'Y'all get in the back, I'm biggest!' Coach ordered.

'That's for sure,' Nick sniggered as he, Ellis and Rochelle climbed into the back. Coach ran in and then Jimmy began driving.

The car spun around on the spot and drove through the oncoming infected. Ellis and Nick leant out of their windows and fired at a few of the infected. Turning a corner, Jimmy drove past the food court.

'If it weren't for them bitches I'd make you stop,' Coach commented.

'We may have to stop!' Jimmy cried, looking ahead. There were doors in front of them but the car could not drive through them.

'Keep going!' Coach told him. 'I got the key.' Leaning out of the window, Coach took his grenade launcher and fired.

Outside, the doors blew open in a fiery blast and the Dodge Charge rocketed through the flames. On the streets of Savannah, the survivors continued driving away from the mall.

'I love this gun!' Coach smiled.

'Where do we go now?' Ellis asked.

'New Orleans,' Nick told them.

'Why there?' Jimmy asked.

'They're evacuating people there, I know it.'

'Seems like a good a place as any,' Jimmy nodded. 'Let's go.'

As they drove, Rochelle glanced at Nick suspiciously. She wondered why he hadn't mentioned New Orleans before. Ellis meanwhile was resting his head against the window, smiling. He could not believe they had got out of there alive.

*

Ellis was standing over Keith, tears falling from his face.

'I'm sorry,' he told him. Tears fell onto Keith's cheek, the knife Ellis had used thrusted into the pillows next to Keith's head. He could not do it; Ellis sat back and threw the knife away. He was unable to kill his best friend. Ellis sat there for a moment, weeping.

It was after a few moments of crying that Ellis realised that Keith had not woken up yet. He had made a lot of noise just then and Keith was still asleep? Ellis stood up and looked at Keith. He was still, not moving. Ellis checked his pulse and his breathing. There was nothing to speak of. Feeling sick, Ellis staggered away from Keith and ran for the bathroom, vomiting into the toilet. Because of his selfishness; Keith had died a miserable death. Ellis felt weak and ashamed. Wiping his mouth, he stood up and left the toilet, looking over to his room. Keith's bed was now empty.

Keith suddenly emerged behind Ellis and began attacking him. He pushed him down the stairs and ran after him. Ellis tried to fight him off but Keith was far too strong. Reduced to nothing more than the common infected, Keith punched, kicked and scratched at Ellis who tried to get away. Kicking Keith in the chest, Ellis managed to get into the kitchen. Keith followed him and Ellis grabbed the nearest knife but Keith already jumped onto him, pinning him to the ground. Still holding the knife, Ellis used all his strength to loosen Keith's grip on his wrists. Head butting him, Ellis managed to get his hand free and stabbed Keith in the side of the head. Keith stopped making noise. Blood flowed from his wound and his eyes. Keith fell off Ellis onto the floor.

Ellis lay there and began weeping, curling up into a ball. He cried until the sun came up and continued crying until it went down again.

He was alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Rochelle was sat in the back of the Dodge Charger sandwiched between Nick and Ellis. She was flipping the screen of her camera back and forth once more, something she did when she was either nervous or thinking about something important. She let out a loud yawn and stretched her arms as far as she could, which turned out to be not that far in the tiny space. She was so tired, like most of them were. It had been a rough time up until this point, now they were on the open roads with no infected in sight. Coach took something out of his pocket and held it close to his chest before putting it away before anyone saw what it was that he was holding. Nick stared out of the window, his eyes holding a look of determination and focus. Ellis on the other hand was looking around the interior of the car excitedly.

'Ah man,' he gasped, 'Keith woulda loved this. Did I ever tell you guys about the time me and Keith went go-kartin'? He said he wanted to be just like his hero Jimmy Gibbs Jr. so he got the overalls and everything to match. Anyway he covered himself in water, you know; just in case he crashed to stop himself from burnin'. Anyway, the water turned out to be gasoline and we were goin' around the track and...'

'Ellis,' Rochelle said wearily, 'can this wait for another time?'

'Okay,' Ellis nodded happily, looking out of his own window at the sights passing by. Rochelle yawned again, flipped her camera shut and leant toward Nick, resting her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her, ready to protest but instead he remained silent. Coach looked through the rear-view mirror at them, knowingly. Nick's face cracked a small, merry smile and he looked away from Rochelle and out of the window. He stopped thinking about his father, Peter, and found himself thinking of Rochelle. Rochelle, however, was not thinking about Nick, rather she was thinking about something completely different, something fairly unpleasant.

*

'I need to make a name for myself,' Rochelle told Dale as she got ready in their hotel room. Dale was sat on one of the twin beds, scratching his chin. Rochelle had finished doing her hair in front of the mirror and then turned to her cameraman who clearly had something to say.

'Can't you be happy just where you are?' he asked her, leaning backward. 'I mean I'm perfectly happy where I am.'

'You always wanted be a cameraman,' Rochelle pointed out. 'You used to film everything you saw as a kid; cars, insects, your Mom in bed.'

'That led to many nice months of therapy,' Dale joked. Rochelle rolled her eyes at him.

'Well that was your dream,' she continued. 'You've made your dream come true. My dream is to become a reporter.' Rochelle looked back into the mirror and saw herself. She sighed and thought about what could be. 'When you were little you were filming things. When I was little I was pretending to be David Brinkley.'

'When you were a kid you wanted to be an eighty year old man?' he asked her jokingly. 'Yeah, that's normal.'

'Alright this is where you shut up!' Rochelle ordered, before sighing. 'Besides he wasn't eighty back then.' She looked back at Dale and leant against the table. 'I've come so close just be stuck behind the scenes. This is my only chance, Dale! You need to help me with this.'

'I dunno,' Dale rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly.

'I'm technically still a producer,' Rochelle told him, not giving him time to think. 'I am still technically your boss and you technically still need to do what I say.'

'There's a lot of technicality in that sentence,' Dale told her. 'If you're gonna be a journalist you can't keep repeating the same words.' Rochelle smiled and winked at him.

'Alright,' he finally gave in. 'You want to be a reporter so bad, who am I to get in the way?' Rochelle gave him a grateful look. 'So let's do it! Let's investigate this flu thingy. Flu has always been an excellent story, always! Nothing more exciting than people getting a cold.' Rochelle shot him a sarcastic glance.

'Oh come off it, Dale!' she sat down on the other bed, facing him. 'The flu is what we were supposed to be looking into before this Jimmy Gibbs bullshit. I'm going to find out what this flu is all about.'

'That's ambitious,' Dale nodded. 'How are we going to do that?' Rochelle crossed her legs and thought for a moment. She had not thought that far ahead yet, surprisingly. 'You don't know?' Dale spoke Rochelle's mind for her.

'I'm an idealist,' she explained. 'I don't know how to make things happen!' Dale rolled his eyes and stood up, making his way for the window.

'Well we first need to establish what angle we're gonna go on,' he explained. 'We could look at the flu from the perspective of those who have it, those who are trying to avoid it or from those who are trying to prevent it.'

'Let's avoid CEDA,' Rochelle decided almost instantly. 'They're everywhere in the news right now.'

'So we should do a story on people who are avoiding the flu?' Dale suggested. Rochelle shook her head.

'No,' she said with narrowing eyes. 'I think we should look into where the hell this thing came from.'

'How do you figure?' Dale asked, intrigued. He sat back down on the bed.

'Well think about it;' Rochelle explained. 'This "green flu" seems to have just popped up over night. I don't know where it's come from, have you?' Dale shook his head. 'CEDA haven't been very forthcoming with their explanations of the origin of this disease.'

'Maybe they don't know?' Dale suggested. 'If they don't know then how the hell could we ever know?'

'We could play detective,' Rochelle grinned. 'I used to want to be one of them, too.'

'So what's the plan then?' Dale asked. Rochelle stood up and walked around the room a little, thinking.

'Who would have the most information about the infection?'

'Apart from CEDA?'

'Apart from CEDA,' Rochelle confirmed.

'Maybe the local hospitals?' Dale shrugged.

'Hospitals are a bit of a tricky area,' Rochelle said. 'Everyone's too busy to answer questions and they're sure as hell not gonna let us wander in and start poking our noses around. They're not going to keep information like that lying around in plain sight, either.'

'So hospitals are a no go?' Dale asked.

'I wouldn't say that,' Rochelle narrowed her eyes, thinking. 'If we could manage to get into one and have a little poke around without anyone noticing us then we could definitely pick something up.'

'What would that be, exactly?' Dale asked. 'I mean we don't know what we're looking for. Not really. Last thing I want to do is be lost inside one of them places looking for something to do about infection I mean, how vague is that? They probably don't even have information about where it came from.'

'You suggested this idea a moment ago,' Rochelle pointed out. Dale sighed and glanced away. 'Look, the way I see it we can either have a look in the nearest hospital for something to go on or we could just got around the streets and ask people what rumours they've heard. I dunno about you but I think I know what would be better television.'

'Fine,' Dale gave up. 'Let's go then.' Rochelle smiled.

'Good.'

'I'll leave the camera in our room,' he said. 'They're not going to let us film in there, are they?' He moved to his nightstand and took the keys for the van, a small chain with Eyewitness 10 News written on it was attached. The two then left the room, Rochelle more eager than Dale, leaving the camera on the bed.

*

There was a large bump in the road that jolted Rochelle awake. The camera slipped from her hands but she managed to grab a hold of it before it fell to the floor. The car had drifted to the edge of the road and was rumbling along the drainage ditch. Coach grabbed the wheel and turned them out of the ditch and back onto the open road. They were on the highway driving along the outer lane. They occasionally passed an abandoned car, some were larger than the one they were in but they did not stop. This car was fast and safe, however the driver appeared to be quite dangerous. Jimmy Gibbs Jr. looked as though he was falling asleep at the wheel.

'Jesus, man!' Coach cried. 'Wake up!' He slapped Jimmy's face gently and the man was suddenly startled. Jimmy pulled on the steering wheel and veered the car to the right, taking the car out of its lane and heading straight for another vehicle.

'Donkey shit!' Jimmy cried, pushing hard on the wheel and narrowly missing the abandoned car by going into another lane, with more abandoned vehicles. Coach pulled on the wheel and they missed another one, knocking the side view mirrors off. Back on open road, Coach looked to Jimmy.

'Stop!' he cried. Jimmy did not need to be told twice and he slammed on the breaks. Nick hit his head on the back of Coach's seat.

'Son of a bitch!' he spat, rubbing his forehead.

Everyone got out of the car and were stood around it. Ellis looked around into the distance to see if anything was coming their way while Rochelle leant against the hood of the car to watch Coach and Nick yell at Jimmy Gibbs.

'You trying to get us killed?' Nick spat.

'Not tryin' to,' Jimmy sighed. 'It just happened.

'You inbred piece of shit!'

'Hey now!' Coach protested. 'He may have nearly got us killed but you should still watch who you're talking to.'

'I should watch myself?' Nick asked with a tone of disbelief. He turned away and walked off, flustered and muttering curses under his breath. Rochelle watched him fondly.

'Look maybe you should take a break from driving?' Coach suggested to Jimmy. 'One of us can do it.'

'Can I do it?' Ellis interrupted. 'I've always wanted to ride in Jimmy Gibbs...'

'Wait a second,' Jimmy spoke over Ellis. 'I'm not letting anyone else drive this car. This thing here's my baby. I ain't giving her up to nobody.' Nick glared back at the man, his frustration with him growing.

'You're not giving her up,' Coach told him. 'You'll be riding in it with us. It's just so you can take a nap.'

'I ain't doing it!' Jimmy insisted.

'Listen you dickhead,' Nick called out, rejoining the conversation. 'Either you get in the passenger's seat or I'll stuff you in the trunk.' Jimmy glanced around the group for a moment.

The car was once again going down the road with Ellis and Rochelle in the front, Ellis proudly driving while Jimmy was sandwiched in between Coach and Nick. Rochelle called shotgun on the front seat so she would not have to put up with Jimmy's sexual advances, although it did not stop him from leaning forward to smell her hair, which she responded to by slapping his face with her hand. They continued their trip to New Orleans.

*

Rochelle and Dale were inside the hospital. Fortune had favoured them as there had been an accident in the emergency room the previous evening and people were crowding the hallways waiting to be seen by doctors. This combined with the large number of builders in the area made it easy to sneak into the more restricted areas of the hospital.

'I don't know what the hell we're looking for!' Dale moaned to Rochelle as they went down the fourth seemingly identical corridor. 'We're going in circles.'

'You're right,' Rochelle nodded. 'Let's split up, cover more ground!' She went off down the next hallway before Dale could protest. He stood there watching her walk away before rolling his eyes and carrying on.

Rochelle looked up and down the hallways hoping to get some inspiration. She went inside the odd office and looked through some files but left hurriedly because she was terrified of being caught. She had no idea what she was doing. Rochelle knew that looking around a hospital for information about the infection was futile as the doctors probably knew the same that everyone else did, or if they knew more they would not just tell her. Rochelle left another office and leant against the door as she closed it, sighing. She then heard something down the hall and looked over to see three people walk by dressed in protective biohazard suits.

Her eyes winded and pulse quickened, Rochelle ran to where she saw the men and looked to where they went, into a locker room. Looking down where they came from, Rochelle attempted to retrace their steps. It was not long before she found where they had come from. A huge plastic sheet was covering the entrance to the ER and surgery areas. She heard someone coming from beyond the plastic and hid quickly inside a small cupboard. Peering through the crack in the doorway, she saw two men emerge from the plastic, neither of them were wearing protective clothing. One of the men was a doctor while the other appeared to be a business man. The two walked by and when she was sure everything was safe, Rochelle emerged from the cupboard and went straight for the restricted area.

Stepping through the plastic, Rochelle went through a deactivated decontamination area and through more plastic until emerging in the emergency room. The sight was shocking and she staggered back as she saw it, vomiting in the corner. The emergency room was littered with corpses. Bodies were in all kinds of positions; some had been mauled while others looked like they had been torn apart. Other bodies appeared to have had parts melted off, with similar burns visible around the room on the furniture.

Composing herself, Rochelle cautiously moved around the reception, not able to look directly at the mutilated bodies. Stepping behind the desk she looked at the various files that had been scattered around in a panic. It appeared that quite a large number of people had come in with extreme flu symptoms. Stepping past the desk, Rochelle made her way to the double doors leading to the surgery area. Stepping through the corridor she saw a body lying on the ground, the head had been dissolved away along with the ground around it. Looking far ahead, Rochelle noticed that there did not appear to be as much damage compared to the area she had come from and that the doors leading to an operating theatre just beside the body were damaged in a fashion similar to the rest of the destruction. Rochelle stepped to the operating room and was about to go inside.

'What the hell are you doing here?' a woman behind her asked. Rochelle jumped in shock and turned to see a young nurse standing, looking worried.

'Sorry,' Rochelle attempted to invent a plausible reason to explain her presence here. 'I was looking for the... bathroom.'

'You need to leave right now!' the nurse insisted, taking Rochelle's arm, attempting to pull her away.

'What happened here?' Rochelle shook her arm free and stood defiantly. She still felt a bit queasy but she tried to mask that.

'Just an accident,' the nurse told her.

'Seems like one hell of an accident,' Rochelle uttered sarcastically. The nurse put her hands to her head and took a deep breath.

'You have no idea how much trouble I will be in if anyone finds out you're here!'

'All the more reason for you to tell me what's going on.' Rochelle saw the look on the nurse's face and felt slightly mean for being so petulant. However her plan worked and the nurse sighed.

'A woman came in,' she explained. 'She was pregnant and suffering from intense abdominal pain. She was too early for natural labour so she was rushed into surgery to see if there was a problem with the baby.' The nurse looked around and swallowed. 'It's the infection,' she told her. 'It changed her.'

'What do you mean?' Rochelle asked, her eyes narrowing.

'It's been in the news,' the nurse told her. 'Ever since this flu came out people have been more angry. They've been fighting each other. Other people have been changing. One man came in the other day literally mutated; his arm had grown to a colossal size and he had been destroying building foundations with it.'

'That's insane,' Rochelle said dismissively.

'It's true!' the nurse insisted. 'Just look all over the United States, it's spreading. The number of violent attacks is rising in each city. No one is safe.' Rochelle nodded slowly, thinking. 'Now you really have to leave!' As the nurse began escorting Rochelle from the quarantine zone, she stopped to ask her a question.

'What happened to the pregnant woman?' she asked. 'Was the baby okay?'

'They found no sign of a baby in her,' the nurse said grimly. 'All that was left was what did all this damage.' Rochelle felt a shiver go down her spine and followed the nurse out after looking back at the corpse with no head.

About two hours later, Rochelle and Dale were driving up the I-95, with Dale in the driving seat and Rochelle leisurely reading some papers, her feet on the dashboard.

'It's definitely Fairfield,' she told him. 'Fairfield has had the most violent attacks since all this started. It was the first place in the country to record such high numbers of violence. Maybe the infection originated there?'

'Maybe,' Dale muttered. 'I still think it's a pretty flimsy lead to warrant driving nearly seven hundred miles.'

'Seven hundred and eighty-two, according to Google Maps,' Rochelle corrected. Dale rolled his eyes.

'Well if you wanna get there tonight,' he said, 'we'll have to take it in turns driving.'

'Perfect!' Rochelle grinned as the van overtook a slower car and continued going toward Fairfield, Pennsylvania.

*

'You're acting unusual,' Peter told Nick, his son as he turned around, leaning on the railing of their balcony. 'We got through it, what are you moping around for?'

'A man died, Peter,' Nick looked at his father seriously. 'Does that not bother you?' Peter looked at him, took a drink from his bottle and sighed.

'It that what all this is about?' Peter asked, gesturing to Nick. 'You didn't kill him, son.'

'No,' Nick acknowledged, 'but I held the gun in his face. I was the one who cornered him and gave him little choice. I...' He looked away, pain in his face. 'It's my fault!'

'What were you expecting?' Peter asked, frankly. 'Did you think we could just total his car, take the case and get away with it? Jesus... what were you expecting?'

'I've never hurt anyone,' Nick told him. 'I've stolen, I've cheated but I've never hurt anybody. Not once.' Peter took another swig of beer before heading back inside. Nick turned around and followed him. 'How many people have you killed?' he asked.

'What the hell?' Peter put his beer down on the desk and stood defensively. 'You're getting like your mother.'

'Well I've not run out on you yet,' Nick spat. 'But if you can be like this after what has happened then I can see why she did!'

'Keep your voice down!' Peter cried in a hushed tone. 'You want this whole floor to know what we've done?'

'What have we done?' Nick asked. 'What is in that briefcase? What is more important than that guy's life?'

'Now you listen to me!' Peter spat, taking his son by his collar and standing close to his face. 'I know you're hurting right now and I don't give a shit, to be truthful. You knew the risks when I invited you along to do this. You knew that it could get ugly but you said you didn't care because of the reward, remember that, Nicky? Do you? Do you remember about the millions that the boss has agreed to pay us for doing this?' Nick pushed his father away from him and stood back, allowing them both to breathe and attempt to relax. Peter turned away and went into the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. 'Take a walk,' he ordered.

'I might just do that,' Nick nodded. He took the gun from the bed and concealed it. He was determined no one else would get hurt. He left the hotel room with no intention of returning.

Peter continued staring at his reflection, looking himself in the eye and smiling. His phone began to ring and he took it from his pocket and answered it.

'Yes, Director?'

'We may have a slight problem,' Director Avery Ingram told him. Peter stepped out of the bathroom and looked on the bed where the gun was and gritted his teeth at its absence.

'What may I do for you?'

'Plans have changed; before you take the package to its destination you must first eliminate a threat, two reporters from Ohio. They were snooping around the sight of the Franklyn Incident.' Peter rubbed his face with his free hand.

'Not a problem,' he said causally. 'Where can I find them?'

*

Dale was asleep in the back of the van, lying on the floor between small work stations with computers to edit film footage. It was night time and barley any cars on the road. Rochelle saw a sign ahead indicating a fuel stop was just ahead. Checking the petrol gauge, she started to pull over as she wondered how they were still going as the tank read empty. Pulling into the garage, Rochelle parked the van neatly and got out.

'Want me to pump the gas for you?' Dale asked, sleepily. Rochelle declined.

'I got it,' she smiled. 'You go back to sleep. I need you to be at your best for when we arrive in Fairfield.' Closing the door and locking Dale inside for a joke, Rochelle put her credit card into the self serve gas pump and began to fill the tank. Yawning slightly, she shuffled on the spot to warm herself up, the night air was cold. A car pulled up to the petrol pumps next to Rochelle's, the owner getting out, not locking the door behind him. He turned and headed straight for the store; inside he picked up a couple crates of beer and some bungee cables used to tie things like bicycles to a car.

As Rochelle wondered why a place like this would sell alcohol to drivers she heard a banging sound. It came from the man's car. Looking up and seeing him through the window, his back turned to look at pornographic magazines, Rochelle decided to investigate. The sound was coming from the trunk of the car. It sounded as though someone was inside. Rochelle rapped her knuckles on the trunk and felt heavy banging as a response. Looking back up, her pulse racing, Rochelle ran around the car and opened the door. She released the trunk lock and closed the door again before running back. The petrol to the van had finished pumping and she replaced the nozzle and took her credit card back as she ran for the trunk. Lifting it up Rochelle saw a young girl inside, duct tape over her mouth and ropes around her hands and feet. She was quite attractive, although she had light bruising on her face. Her black hair was a mess and she wore a light red hooded top. Rochelle had just met Zoey.

Rochelle pulled the duct tape off the girl's mouth.

'You gotta help me!' Zoey pleaded.

'Don't worry, sweetie,' Rochelle said reassuringly as she untied Zoey's foot ropes. 'I'm gonna get you out of here.' Helping her out of the car, Rochelle began to untie Zoey's hands but suddenly stopped when she heard a man yelling.

'Hey!' Zoey's kidnapper cried, pulling out a handgun.

'Get down!' Rochelle yelled, pushing Zoey to safety as the man began firing shots.

'What the fuck do you think you're doing?' the man spat. The owner of the garage stepped outside with a shotgun, aiming it at the man but was too slow to use it and ended up being gunned down. In the time he had his back turned, Rochelle and Zoey got into the news van and drove off, the tyres screeching on the ground. The man got into his own car and promptly followed. He was faster than they were and quickly caught up to them on the freeway.

'He's gaining on us!' Zoey cried, looking through the side view mirror before he shot it out. The van and car dangerously swerved in between traffic, causing other motorists to skid out of the way. The car was right behind the van and the man continued shooting.

'Dale!' Rochelle cried. 'Throw something at him!' Dale detached a computer monitor and held it securely. Kicking the rear doors open, he stumbled. The doors knocked the car back slightly and the man saw Dale as a target. He lifted his gun and Dale knew he had seconds to act. He threw the monitor as hard as he could and it flew straight into the windshield of the car, on the driver's side. The car lost control, skidded into another vehicle and flipped over, crashing into the other lane of traffic where it grinded along the road until it was ploughed into by a massive 18 wheeled truck. Pulling the doors closed, Dale moved to the front of the van and looked at Rochelle and Zoey.

'What the hell was all that?' he gasped.

'I was hitchhiking,' Zoey explained. 'He offered to give me a lift... He seemed nice until I fell asleep and woke up when he was tying me up.' She broke into tears. 'Oh my God... He could have...'

'You're alright now,' Rochelle looked caringly at her. She introduced herself and Dale to Zoey who did the same back. 'Where were you going?'

'My parents',' Zoey sniffed. 'I left home not long ago and I missed them so I thought I'd go see them.'

'Couldn't they have come see you? Dale asked. 'Or picked you up?' Zoey shook her head.

'They didn't want to see me...'

'Oh,' Dale sat back down.

'How come you're going back there, then?' Rochelle asked.

'Well some guy came into the place where I was working,' Zoey explained. 'We got talking and he said I should try and go see them. I mean, they're my parents, right? They should still wanna see me but they didn't... I called them up and my Mom said she never wanted to see me again. I thought if I talked to her in person she'd change her mind.' Rochelle nodded in understanding. 'Oh my God, thank you for helping me!'

'Don't worry about it,' Rochelle smiled, anticipating Rochelle's next question. 'We'll take you as far as we can without going off course.'

'I can't ask you to do that,' Zoey shook her head.

'You're in the car now,' Rochelle told her. 'So where you headed?'

'Fairfield,' Zoey said quietly.

'No way!' Dale leant forward, stunned.

'What?' Zoey asked. Rochelle let out a chuckle.

'I guess you'll be sticking with us for quite a while,' she said to a smiling Zoey.

The Eyewitness 10 News van drove on, passing the halfway point in their journey.

*

Rochelle opened her eyes and saw that they were parked. The Dodge Charger had stopped by an abandoned garage and everyone had got out. Nick opened the door for her and held out his hand. Rochelle smiled as she took it and winced in the sunlight. Stepping into the store area, Rochelle saw Coach eating a chocolate bar, as he read a sheet of paper while Ellis was looking at the magazines. Rochelle chuckled to herself when she saw that they were car magazines that he was reading.

'Report unusual behaviour,' Coach said, reading the words on the paper aloud. 'Barricade your homes, avoid all contact with infected individuals and wait for official instructions...' Coach laughed and crumpled up the paper in his hand, throwing it away. 'Wait my ass...'

'Kill all sons' a' bitches,' Ellis pumped his shotgun. 'That's my official instructions.' Someone burst out of the door to the bathroom and everyone aimed their weapons at him. Jimmy stood there, looking at the guns.

'Good thing I just took a shit,' he muttered vulgarly. Rochelle groaned at him and put her gun away along with everyone else. 'So what's the plan?'

'We eat more of this chocolate,' Coach chuckled to himself.

'Like there'll be any left after you've been at it,' Nick uttered in a slightly joking manner. Coach threw the chocolate wrapper at him and leant against the counter.

'So we're going to New Orleans, right?'

'That's where all the survivors have been taken to,' Nick said hastily. Rochelle gave him an unnoticed suspicious glance.

'We may as well go to New Orleans,' Ellis added. 'I mean if that place is a death-trap like Savannah was, then we could keep driving until we reach Mexico.'

'Why have they all been taken to New Orleans?' Jimmy asked. Rochelle immediately brushed away his question but then realised that he did have a point. What was so special about New Orleans? Savannah had its own port to evacuate people and even if for some reason using that was not possible, why take people over 700 miles away to be evacuated?

'Maybe New Orleans is still secure?' Coach thought aloud.

'Doubtful,' Nick shook his head. 'Pretty much the entire country has been overrun. New Orleans must have been the site for major evacuation before it was lost. Maybe there are still some people alive there or some escape vehicles we can use to get out, like boats, tanks or planes.'

'Oh yeah!' Coach laughed, not taking him seriously. 'Who here can fly a plane?'

'I can,' Ellis raised his hand. Everyone silently looked at him for a moment.

'Look New Orleans is somewhere to go,' Nick told everyone. 'Let's go there and just see what happens. If it's a waste of space then we can just go to Mexico. Sound good?' Everyone agreed. 'Excellent. Now let's eat, I'm starving.'

*

'Well that's pretty cool,' Zoey smiled at Dale who was explaining Rochelle's plan to her. 'You're quite a good journalist!' Rochelle blushed; she had never been called that before. 'So what's the plan for when you get there?'

'While Dale finds us a hotel I'm going to go to Mercy Hospital,' Rochelle told her. 'The infection spread quickest in that hotel so I'm thinking it originated from there.'

'Is it still open?' Zoey asked.

'Yeah but a lot of it is quarantined,' Rochelle pulled onto a new road, passing a sign saying "Welcome to Fairfield". 'Dale will drop me off at the hospital and then he'll take you home.' Zoey nodded, not looking as if she wanted to leave.

After a while, thanks to Zoey's directions, they arrived at the hospital. Rochelle got out of the van and said goodbye, hugging Zoey and wishing her good luck. Watching the van drive away, Rochelle went inside the hospital. Watching her enter, Peter narrowed his eyes as he sat in his car. He had been following them for quite a while. Driving past the hospital he chased after the van, deciding to take care of Rochelle later.

Stepping inside the elevator, Rochelle rode to the ICU wards. She disembarked and noticed a lot of people walking around with paper masks. She was given one by somebody as she walked around, looking for a sign of inspiration. Noticing the nurse's station was unattended, Rochelle casually stepped behind it and flicked through the files. A spreadsheet had been created and printed off, detailing the list of "Extreme Risk Patients". There was a star by one patient's name. Rochelle suspected that this was the individual who first had the infection as their name had the earliest admission date corresponding to it and had, so far, not been discharged. Looking at patient files, she soon found where they had lived. Rochelle took out her phone and called Dale.

'I think I know where this all started.'

Pulling up onto the curb, Dale stepped out of the van, followed by Zoey who had helped him find where he was looking for. Mercy Hospital was still visible in the distance but in front of them was a small apartment complex. On the street were a set of market stands selling an array of goods from fresh fruit to army antiques. An elderly gentleman with white hair, smoking a cigarette was staring at the antiques, laughed at the dealer for over pricing everything. He left to look at some weapons. Stepping into the apartment complex, Dale and Zoey were watched by Peter who pulled up a little way behind them. He turned off the engine and stepped out of the car.

Dale kicked open the door to the apartment of the infected patient and looked around. Everywhere was covered in a slight layer of dust. There was a small hallway that hat three doorways. The first on the left went to a tiny bathroom while the second on the right opened up the bedroom. The door ahead went to the joint kitchen and living area.

'Rochelle said she'd be here shortly,' Dale told Zoey, 'you don't have to come.'

'Maybe I could help? Zoey shrugged. 'I need to do something to return your kindness.'

'We only did what any other decent person would do,' Dale commented, looking around the kitchen. On the table top was a newspaper that was just under a week old. It appeared that the individual had been your average person. There was a nice television, a full set of pots and pans, good quality cutlery and plates and high standard cooking knives. The fridge was large and appeared expensive. The sofas looked lush and there were a couple of nice pictures hanging off the wall.

'Why does everything look nice in here and not the rest of the house?' Zoey asked.

'They must have spent most of their time in here,' Dale summarised, looking down at the paper. 'I mean I wouldn't spend a hell of a lot in my apartment on places I wouldn't be in a lot, especially if I didn't have a lot of friends which the resident here didn't appear to have.' Dale looked around for any other pictures. 'It looks like this place could be a rental property,' he thought aloud. 'That would explain the lack of a personal touch but it wouldn't explain why it looks like it's not been cleaned in a while. Even rentals have maids... well most of the time. What do you think, Zoey?' Dale looked around and saw that he was talking to himself. 'Zoey?' He stepped into the hallway to go looking for her. Peeking around the corner into the bedroom, someone struck him over the head, knocking him to the ground. He fell next to Zoey, who was also unconscious. Standing before the two, flexing his knuckles was Peter.

'I'm going to have some fun with you,' he muttered to himself, savouring each cracking sound his joints made as he pulled on them.

*

'The command centre for the military services has moved,' Norah was explaining. 'We are no longer in charge; Admiral Richard Jaeger and Director Avery Ingram are on board the Abraham Lincoln.' Norah was stood up, addressing the few staff that was left in the White House. Edward's seat was empty; he was not in the room. 'Rescue vehicles will be picking us up within the hour,' Norah continued. 'The civilians and other military personnel camped out on the front lawn will be evacuated as well. If any of you have any business to take care of before you leave I suggest you do it now. I don't think we'll be returning here for a long time.'

Norah dismissed those around her and remained inside the meeting room while they left. She did not feel like leaving just yet, there was the risk she might run into Edward. She could not think of anything to say to him, she still felt hurt and betrayed. She felt angry because he may not have given his maximum effort and that he could have hindered her in some way. Norah shook herself and realised why she felt as upset as she did; she wanted to blame Edward for her failures even though they were not his fault. They were no one's fault but her own, not even the Director, whose actions straddled the line between incompetence and sabotage. Taking a breath Norah looked to the door and slowly stepped toward it.

Walking silently along the corridors, she brushed past people without even looking at them. She had the face of a broken woman. Stepping into her own office, she locked the door behind her. She went to her desk, sat down and opened her drawer, taking out a bottle of scotch and a glass. Norah sat there and drank two glassfuls before licking her lips and moving over to a cabinet that stood proudly on the wall. Photo frames stood proudly on the glossy oak wood, the pictures depicting happy times; the time Norah and Edward were joking at a charity event, the occasion where she and her family had a small reunion and, her favourite one, was of her ceremony when she became the Secretary of Homeland Security. That photo always used to be her favourite but now she looked at it and only felt a distinct sense of failure. She had not done her job well. She felt she had not done her job at all. She had failed her country.

Opening one of the drawers she pulled out a box, placing it on the cabinet and opening it. Inside was a handgun with a full magazine placed next to it. Next to it was a police badge; the set was her father's from his days in the police force. Norah thought about her father and how she knew how ashamed he would be if she saw how she had done things. She knew for certain how ashamed he would feel as she felt ashamed of herself. Talking the gun and the magazine, the loaded it and went to her desk, leaving the badge.

Sitting on the chair, Norah removed all of the belongings she had from her pockets and placed them before her on the desk. She took out an identity card, her phone and a couple of dollars. Having a few more glasses of scotch, Norah placed the gun on the desk and sat very still, looking at the things in front of her.

Norah glanced over to the cabinet, absorbing the photographs and closing her eyes, breathing deeply.

She lifted the gun.

Norah placed it to the side of her head.

After taking a deep breath, she gently began to squeeze the trigger.

Bursting into life, Norah's phone started to ring, startling her, causing her to drop her gun on the floor. Breathing heavily for a moment, she looked at her phone; the networks had been knocked out days ago, she thought as she lifted the device up. She did not recognise the number but answered the call anyway, clearing her throat.

'Hello?'

'Good evening, Norah.'

Norah's eyes widened and she turned away from the desk in her chair, hunched slightly.

'Director?'

'Oh right,' the Director spoke smugly. 'You prefer "madam secretary", don't you? So how's tricks on your end?'

'You've screwed us over, that's how things are!' Norah stood up angrily.

'I admire your bluntness,' the Director smiled on the other end. 'It's so ladylike.'

'What are you doing?' she asked him, not expecting an answer. 'Most of our plans were based around the information you gave us; the information CEDA gave us!'

'I know,' the Director said casually.

'You've been giving us substandard, incorrect and God damn ludicrous information about the infection. How do you expect us to function efficiently when everything we've been told is wrong? Christ, Avery! You've brought this country to its knees!'

'I know,' the Director repeated. Norah stopped, a shiver went down her spine.

'No,' she gasped, shaking her head. 'You limey bastard.' Her voice was breaking as she spoke.

'The Admiral doesn't know it yet,' the Director explained, 'but I'm the one running the show here. I need you to keep out of the way, Norah, because despite everything you're really God damn good.' Norah did not take this information as a compliment. 'Your decision to quarantine New Orleans was spot on, really. That is where I released the strain with the highest mutation rate.'

'You son of a bitch,' Norah fell back into her chair.

'I needed to acquire samples,' the Director continued, anticipating her question. 'And other science stuff, you wouldn't understand. Suffice it to say I needed a controlled outbreak so that we could develop vaccinations for when this goes worldwide and believe me, Norah, this is going world wide.'

'Is that why you released it all over America?' she asked him. 'So that the authorities would be overwhelmed?'

'I did say you were good,' the Director chuckled. 'As the Director of CEDA I could also release any information I want.'

'Which explains why so many people thought it originated from different locations,' Norah shook her head and smashed her fist on the table. 'Why?'

'I just said!' the Director told her. 'This virus is coming. It's not an engineered thing made in some lab it is a frighteningly real, natural occurrence. A storm is coming, Norah, and the whole world will be in the middle of it. We don't have a lot of time to develop a vaccine for this virus and if we fail the entire human race will become extinct because we will be unable to evacuate to another country because every country will be infected!'

'Apart from America,' Norah sighed.

'Indeed,' the Director nodded. 'Should the worst happen; the United States, Canada and South America will all be used as a safe zone; a place to rebuild. I mean, by that time the infection will have died out and the entire landmass will have been sterilized.'

'Why are you telling me this?' Norah asked him. She then had a realisation and stood up. 'You're going to kill us, aren't you?'

'As I said, Norah,' the Director chuckled. 'You are too damn good.'

Norah threw the phone away and ran out of the meeting room, taking the handgun with her. She pulled the emergency alarm on the wall. A loud ring ran down the corridors, signalling immediate evacuation.

'Get down to the shelter!' she cried at people who ran past. 'Down into the bomb shelters, hurry!' Stopping by a window she looked outside at the triage facilities outside. In the far distance they were being attacked. Norah looked up and saw the sprinklers on the ceiling and thought to herself if the chemicals that the Director designed to keep the infected at bay would work. However there was no time to test it and Norah suspected that they would be long dead before the infected reached the White House. Unknown to her, in the distance, five fighter jets were approaching the White House, their payloads loaded with bombs.

Norah blitzed down the hall, telling everyone she came across to get into the bomb shelters. Someone asked her where she was going as she was running in the wrong direction.

'I'm getting Edward!' she told them, continuing her dash. Turning a corner, Norah saw the door to Edward's office. She ran through and saw him sat at his desk, holding the small vial of white powder.

'We need to go!' Norah cried. Edward looked up at her.

'Why?' he asked flatly.

'Damn it, Eddy,' Norah approached his desk, slamming her palms on it. 'We need to stop this.'

'Stop what?' he asked.

'The Director!' Edward looked at her, confused.

'What are you talking about?'

'I don't have time to explain,' Norah told him, standing upright, 'but he's been playing us. He's been playing the whole country. He wanted this to happen!' Edward nodded slightly and then looked away.

'I take it we're under attack?'

'There are two shelters,' Norah gasped. 'We can get a lot of people in each. I need you to be in one.'

'I thought I was no good and let you down?' Edward looked at her, completely uninterested. Norah gritted her teeth.

'I need you!' she yelled. There was a moment of quiet between the two, only the alarms filled the air. 'I need you, Eddy. Because out of everything that has happened you're still my friend.' A tear fell down her cheek. 'And you're the only person I can trust.' Edward looked away, thinking. He fiddled with the vial in his hands for a moment before he placed it on the desk and looked up at her. Edward stood up and straightened his clothes.

'What do you want me to do?'

The two left the office hurriedly.

'You get into bunker two,' Norah told him. 'I'll get into the other. We need to keep everyone in order because after its happened, there will be a lot of chaos.'

'What's happening?' Edward asked.

'The Director is planning on "sterilizing the United States".'

'How?'

'He's going to kill us,' Norah said. 'He's on an aircraft carrier at the moment.'

'Shit,' Edward gasped.

'Lie low for a while!' Norah instructed. 'When it's safe we will get out and then get out of here.' Edward nodded and stopped Norah before they separated.

'I'm sorry,' he told her. Norah smiled and nodded. The two then separated and headed for the shelters. Each of them ran as fast as they could while in the distance, the fighter jets were flying over Washington. The Washington Monument was visible to them just in the distance. Edward made his way into his shelter first. He prepared to seal the door, looking at the large number of people already inside. Norah turned a corner and continued running. Heading through a door, through the elaborate main hallway and around another corner she saw the entrance to the shelter ahead. In the air, the jet's payload bays opened up. Edward heard the planes getting closer.

The bombs fell freely from their planes and fell toward the White House. Norah heard them go overhead and saw one of the people inside the shelter looking confused.

'Close the fucking door!' she screamed. The man did as he was told and the steel doorway began to slide shut. The first bomb fell through the White House ceiling, tearing through its foundations. It was soon followed by other devices that began exploding. Norah was meters away from the closing door as a bomb crashed in the hallway behind her. She jumped forward as it exploded and she flew through the gap in the door just before it closed in time the shield those inside from the blast. Outside, the remaining survivors were blasted away as the explosions obliterated everything. Lying on the ground in the bunker, Norah grabbed a fistful of dust that was on the ground and spat some out of her mouth.

'I'm gonna get you, Avery...' she muttered to herself.

Outside, the bombs had stopped falling and there were a few survivors left on the front lawn of the White House. The building was severely damaged but some parts of it were still standing. The survivors saw ahead the huge horde of infected running for them.

'Fall back!' someone yelled and the infected chased the survivors into the ruin of the White House.

*

Dale opened his eyes and tried to move, finding himself tied to a radiator. Zoey was in front of him, on her knees, also tied up.

'I'm a bit pissed off,' Peter told Dale upon noticing he was awake. 'You see, I have a job to do. I was hired by a very powerful man to reclaim something that someone stole from him; someone stupid enough to think that he could get away with it. Well do you know what happened to him? He's fucking dead, isn't he? I watched him die, falling to his death while I had the prize!' Peter pointed to a small briefcase that was sat by the fire escape window. 'I'm set to leave this damn place, all happy as can be, before you fuckers had to mess it up!' He sounded angry, almost venomous. Walking to the knife rack, he took out a meat cleaver, holding it firmly in his gloved hand and approached the two meanacingly. Tears fell down Zoey's face as she flinched as he passed her, kneeling next to Dale. He pulled off his left shoe and clamped his foot down. Hovering the blade over Dale's big toe, he swung it down with a sickening crack. Zoey let out a scream at what she saw while Dale cried out in agony. Peter kicked Zoey in the head to shut her up and clasped his hand over Dale's mouth.

'I'm gonna ask you questions,' he told him, 'and if I don't like the answer I'm gonna cut off more.' He stood up and stepped away from Dale, glancing casually over to Zoey as the blood dripped from his cleaver.

Outside, Rochelle turned onto the street. She had walked all the way and saw the van parked outside the apartments. Walking through the market, she made her way forward. The sound of the hustle and bustle was tremendous; she almost couldn't hear herself think.

Back upstairs, Peter sliced another toe off Dale's foot.

'Stop lying to me!' he told him.

'I'm not lying!' Dale wept in pain, spitting out a mouthful of blood. 'I'm telling you we don't know anything!'

'You expect me to believe you traced the infection all the way over here without knowing anything?'

'We just figured it out!' Dale insisted. 'Anyone could do it if they looked hard enough. We can't look into it any further because you're fucking holding us hostage!' Peter nodded.

'I see you have a point,' he said. 'Well I guess I can't let you find out any more.'

'What are you talking about?' Dale asked, watching Peter grip the meat cleaver firmly.

'I want to get out of this country before all hell breaks loose,' he told him. 'The only way to do that is to get rid of you.' He plunged the cleaver into Dale's stomach and twisted it. Dale spat more blood as he cried in agony. Zoey stumbled backward in fright. Peter grabbed her collar and pulled her to her feet, holding the cleaver to her. 'I don't think I'll need it but let's just say that you're the murderer, it'll give me a lot less hassle.'

Noticing Zoey's bandaged arms, Peter pulled up her sleeves and sliced the blade across them, causing more bleeding and fabricating further self harm marks. Just at that moment he heard the front door burst open.

'Police!' someone cried.

'Shit,' Peter muttered. Throwing the knife away he went to climb through the window but Zoey attempted to stop him. Peter, however, was stronger than she was and he grabbed her tight and pushed her through the glass and out the window. Zoey fell over the fire escape and plunged to the ground, landing on top of one of the market stalls. Taking the case, Peter hastily left before Rochelle entered the room.

'Where's the police?' Dale coughed through blood.

'Oh shit!' Rochelle gasped in horror, kneeling down next to him. 'What happened?'

'Someone's after us!' Dale choked. 'You should have come with the real police...'

'I just wanted to catch him off guard,' she told him, stroking his hair. 'I'm gonna get you out of here.'

'I'm dead,' Dale shook his head. 'So is Zoey.' Rochelle looked shocked at the news. 'We've struck a nerve with these guys. It's connected to the infection.' Rochelle held her friend's hand.

'I'll find out,' she promised him. 'I will make them pay. I promise.'

Dale vomited a mouthful of blood and then fell dead, the whole place a bloody mess. Crying, Rochelle got out of the room as fast as she could after kissing Dale on the forehead and closing his eyes. Stepping outside, she saw a crowd gathering around the market stall where Zoey fell. Ignoring it, she got into the van, started the engine and drove off as fast as she could.

Paramedics arrived on the scene as Rochelle left and looked over Zoey, her eyes were closed and her body was bloody. They felt her pulse and checked other vital signs while everyone went quiet as they worked on her. Suddenly, Zoey opened her eyes and started gasping for breath, reaching out for someone to help her...

*

Ellis was still driving, however this time Jimmy was in the front passenger seat with the others in the back. Rochelle was looking through the footage she had collected, showing Nick and Coach who were surprised at what they saw, a massive fight between the horde of infected and the national guard.

'So this was taken about an hour after all of those interviews you did at the safe zone?' Coach asked her.

'What can I tell you,' she shrugged. 'The infection hit hard.' Rochelle skipped forward a little and came across footage where she was running away from a Tank. She jumped over a rooftop and was helped up by Nick. 'That's where we first met,' she said fondly.

'Why were you on a rooftop?' Coach asked him.

'I was waiting to die,' Nick sighed, looking over to him. 'What about you? What were you doing when you ran into Ellis?'

'He was lookin' for summin' in his office,' Ellis spoke for Coach. 'I was at the school lookin' for Keith and he was lookin' for somethin' I dunno what it is.' Coach put his hand over his pocket and sighed.

'I was looking for a story,' Rochelle said, in an attempt to divert the conversation away from Coach who looked increasingly uncomfortable with the subject.

'Did you get the story you wanted?' Nick asked. Rochelle narrowed her eyes and then looked at him, a certain look on her face.

'Not yet,' she told him, cracking a sly smile. 'But I will. You can count on it.'

The car drove further ahead with the sun slowly setting down the horizon.


	6. Chapter 6

6 – Whispers of the Dead

'All I'm sayin' is that voodoo is the only logical explanation,' Ellis insisted as he sat in the back of the car with Rochelle and Nick. Jimmy was once again driving and Coach was in the front passenger's seat, it had been Nick's turn to sit upfront but he was reluctant to sit next to Jimmy or reluctant to move away from Rochelle, who he had been say with most of the trip to New Orleans.

'It's definitely God,' Jimmy insisted. They were speculating causes of the infection. Rochelle remained silent throughout the conversation. The sky was dark and the freeway was still clear. Occasionally they passed an abandoned vehicle, sometimes stopping to search it for supplies, but they were mostly alone.

'I'm inclined to agree with Jimmy,' Coach told Ellis, who appeared to be slightly disappointed that Coach did not agree with him. 'I mean, voodoo ain't real!'

'Neither is God,' Nick added.

'There's a lot in this world that's unexplained,' Coach told Nick, his tone vaguely lecturing. 'You can't get through life without having a little faith.'

'Bullshit,' Nick shook his head dismissively. 'I never believed in God and I'm here in the same boat as the rest of you.'

'We're in a car,' Ellis told him. Nick rolled his eyes and looked out the window.

'You may not have faith in a higher power,' Coach continued. 'However you have faith in other people, right? Otherwise you wouldn't be here right now.' Nick did not answer. 'All I'm saying is that you can't not look out the window, see what's happening to the world and not believe in something. Be it an all powerful God that is doing all this, who is helping us or believe in the strength of the people that are helping each other get through it all together.'

'Not everyone's helping each other, Coach,' Nick pointed out. Coach grinned, letting out a laugh.

'That's true,' he admitted. 'But we are.' There was a silence for a moment in the car and Coach looked out ahead at the road before them. It was getting darker, so Jimmy switched on the headlights. In the distance, road signs could be read. Coach's eyes widened as he saw one.

'Stop the car!' he cried at Jimmy.

'What's going on?' Rochelle leant forward.

'Stop, turn in there!' Coach ordered.

'I ain't stopping now,' Jimmy refused. 'We're making great time!'

'Stop the car now!' Coach grabbed the wheel to forcibly change the direction they were going. There was an off-ramp just ahead and the car swerved toward it. With Jimmy and Coach's fight over the wheel, the Dodge Charger was heading straight for the centre parting between the road and the ramp. Jimmy, seeing the danger, submitted to Coach and drove the car off the ramp. The Dodge Charger drove down onto a smaller exit road where Jimmy slammed on the breaks and the vehicle skidded to a sudden halt. The passengers were jolted forward as they stopped, Nick hitting his head on Coach's seat. Coach, meanwhile, got out of the car as soon as it stopped and stepped a few feet down the road. Jimmy opened his door, ready to begin an argument with the man but Nick beat him to it, storming out of the car and screaming at Coach.

'What the hell are you doing?' he spat. His voice echoed around the night air. 'You trying to get us killed?'

'Nick!' Rochelle interjected, standing close to him. Nick stepped away from her, marching angrily toward Coach.

'That guy's a bad enough driver!' he continued. 'We don't need you acting like a God-damn kid to mess things up!'

'Yeah!' Jimmy agreed before thinking fully about Nick had said. 'Wait, what?'

'What the hell is your problem?' Nick yelled, stepping in front of Coach and glaring angrily at him. Coach appeared to have not heard him, as he was staring off into the distance.

'I'll be...' he whispered softly. Nick frowned and turned to see what Coach was looking at. In the distance was a silhouette of a large structure that was just visible against the dark sky due to dimly lit searchlights beaming into the air.

'What is that?' Nick asked.

'Whispering Oaks,' Coach stepped past Nick slowly shaking his head. 'I can't believe it...'

'Coach?' Rochelle asked with a worried tone to her voice.

'It's an amusement park... I used to go here as a kid,' he explained.

'Great,' Nick said sarcastically. 'Now we can die there as adults. Coach this isn't the time to go on a rollercoaster!'

'I used to go here with her...' Coach said softly, too quiet for anyone to hear. He reached into his pocket and handled what he took from his desk drawer back in the school fondly.

'Coach,' Rochelle walked past Nick and gently took Coach's hand, holding it compassionately. 'Coach, do you want to go there?' He squeezed Rochelle's hand.

'We're not going there!' Nick spat. 'Christ, don't you think this is a bit stupid? It's getting dark and you want to go into a zombie infested theme park?' Jimmy and Ellis exchanged confused glances. 'We need to keep driving! We're vulnerable enough out in the open we need to keep moving through the night to stay safe!'

'I need to go there,' Coach told everyone. 'I need to sort something out.'

'In an amusement park?' Nick was disbelieving. He could not fathom what could be so important in an amusement park that would warrant a visit in the middle of a night during a zombie apocalypse. 'What do you need to sort out?'

'I need to settle some unfinished business,' Coach told him. The wind blew a cold breeze down the road, chilling everyone. Ellis and Jimmy folded their arms due to the cold. 'I need to go there, guys. It's important.'

'Okay,' Rochelle nodded, who was trying to suspect how much going there meant to him. 'Let's go.'

'Rochelle!' Nick interjected. 'You can't be serious!'

'Nick,' Rochelle glared at him. 'This is important to Coach so it's important to us.' Nick scoffed and looked away.

'I can't believe this...'

'If you wanna keep on going you can,' Coach told them. 'You can keep going. I'll find my own way back to New Orleans.' Nick glanced back to Coach, Rochelle saw the look in his eye. It was as if he was seriously considering the option.

'We ain't leaving you, Coach,' Ellis said supportively. 'Y'all came to help me. What kind of a friend would I be if I didn't help you?' Nick, desperately looked to Jimmy for support, something he never thought he would do.

'You've been dicked on, son,' Jimmy told him.

'Fine!' Nick cried. 'Fine! Let's go and do something stupid, it's not as if things were looking up for a moment back there...'

Everyone got back into the car and drove toward the amusement park. The large sign above the freeway that Coach had seen read "Whispering Oaks" and included a picture of an anthropomorphic peanut, smiling and waving at those who passed by, wearing overalls and a blue hat. It was the same sign Coach had driven past what seemed like a lifetime ago. He parked his car and stood out, taking a deep breath of fresh air and stretching his legs after the long car journey. He looked up at the sky and saw in the distance the large Ferris Wheel, the exciting rollercoaster's and he could smell the delicious odours of the food stands wafting toward him. The passenger door of his car opened and Ruth stepped out, enjoying the same sensations Coach was.

'I can't believe it took so long to get here!' she told him.

'Yeah,' Coach nodded. 'So let's not waste any time! Come on!' He took Ruth's hand and they broke into a light jog, heading for the entrance.

Now the sun was no longer shining and there was no fresh smell of delicious food in the air or the hustle and bustle of people enjoying themselves. The Dodge Charger parked in the middle of the parking area, near to the entrance. Everyone got out and had a brief look around.

'Yeah, Coach,' Nick spoke sarcastically. 'This place is a real beauty.'

'You didn't have to come,' Coach snapped back.

'I didn't want to,' Nick responded, flippantly.

'Someone's gonna need to stay behind and look after the car,' Jimmy interrupted. 'I mean you've seen what some o'them mutants can do.'

'Good idea,' Rochelle nodded, looking to Nick. 'You're the one most against going here, why don't you stay behind?'

'By myself?' Nick asked. 'I don't know how to drive this car! How can I protect it of a Tank comes?'

'I'll stay with you,' Jimmy told him. 'We need to stick together. Three going in is safest, with two staying out.'

'Works for me,' Coach said, taking his magnum pistol and walking through the entrance. Ellis quickly followed him and Coach nodded at Jimmy before making her way inside.

'Wait!' Nick called after her.

'You stay here,' she turned around. 'I think it's better this way.' She looked angry with him and went inside.

'What the hell did I do?' Nick asked, leaning against the car. Jimmy frowned at him.

'I'll let you think about that one,' he told him. 'But don't touch the paintwork.' Nick stood away from the car and shook his head.

'This isn't my day,' he muttered.

*

'Do you think my fingers are swelling up?' Ruth asked Coach as she looked at her expensive engagement ring. They were in Coach's modest apartment, she was in the kitchen area and he was sat watching the television.

'What?' Coach queried, glancing away from the football game. 'No, they're not.'

'I can hardly take the bastard off,' Ruth said, straining herself to pull it off her finger.

'What are you doing?' Coach stood up and went to her.

'My Mom,' Ruth explained, continuing to try and pull the ring off, 'she swelled so much when she was pregnant with me.'

'She had triplets!' Coach told her as she finally managed to pull the diamond engagement ring off.

'There we are,' she sighed. 'Look all I know is I don't want my whole body to bloat and this ring to get damaged because of your baby!' She handed him the ring, smiling. 'I want this to be the first thing I get when our kid is born.'

'Not the baby then?' Coach joked. Ruth playfully glided her hand through the air, tapping Coach's cheek. 'I'll go put this somewhere safe, then,' Coach told her, going to the door. 'You want takeout for dinner?' Ruth looked up and smiled, nodding happily. Coach chuckled and left the apartment.

About half an hour later, Coach was walking back into his apartment complex. He looked up and saw the leftmost window on the top floor, his apartment. The lights were on, glowing a warm hue that seemed really inviting. He stepped into the lobby, nodding at the doorman who head his head lowered reading the paper and pushed the call button on the elevator.

'Nice to see you, Coach,' the doorman said. Coach looked around and saw him stand up and take off his hat. He had straightened black hair and a chinstrap beard. Coach knew the man, however he wished he did not. 'Whatcha got there?' he asked. 'Chinese?'

'What do you want, Miles?' Coach asked. 'I don't owe you for another month.'

'Oh I am hurt!' Miles spoke with sarcastic emotion. 'Really, I just wanted to see how my buddy is doing!' He put his arm around Coach. He smelt Miles' cheap aftershave, it was almost offensive. 'So how are you, buddy? How's your old lady? Enjoying the ring I got her?'

'I got her that ring,' Coach hissed.

'With the money I gave you,' Miles released Coach and leant against the doorman's desk. 'Oh, sorry. I mean with the money I loaned you.' The elevator doors opened and Coach turned to go through but two large men were inside, blocking the way. 'You see, Coach,' Miles explained, 'I went to visit the old lady, Ruth is it?' Coach glared at him. 'She wasn't wearing the ring... Did she not like it or something?'

'What the hell do you want?' Coach spat.

'You see with no ring,' Miles continued, 'I have to think about what I can take if you can't pay me back when I want.' Miles had a sinister look on his face. Coach swallowed hard. 'So I hope you can pay me properly... by next week?'

'What?' Coach spluttered. 'I thought I had a month!'

'Times are tight,' Miles shrugged. 'I'm sure you'll find some way of paying me back.' He chuckled sinisterly and walked out of the lobby, leaving Coach alone. He had gone very pale and leant against the wall for support.

*

Coach led Ellis and Rochelle through sideshows, where shooting galleries, tests of strength and other typical small attractions you would find in an amusement park. Food stalls were empty; all of the supplies had been scavenged long ago. The only thing left was spoilt food and propane tanks to light the gas fires. Prizes for the games hung from the stands, swaying eerily in the wind.

'They got shooting galleries there,' Ellis nodded. 'This is like we're in one big ol' shootin' gallery ain't it?'

'I've never been in a gallery where the targets attack you,' Rochelle commented.

'Well I hadn't neither,' Ellis said, 'until this one time; me and Keith went to the carnival that pulled into town. We were throwin' balls to knock over glass bottles until Keith threw one a little too hard and it bounced off a wall and hit a carnie in the head. Now, we weren't itching to fight a guy who only had one eye and a stump for a leg, so we...'

'Ellis!' Coach hissed. 'Quiet! I hear something.' Everyone stopped still, listening. The chilly breeze carried the voices of the infected through the amusement park, sending shivers down the survivor's spines. The whispers of the dead seemed to surround the survivors, trapping them where they were. 'We gotta move, now!'

'I don't hear nothin',' Ellis said but continued walking. They moved past the test of strength where a Jockey suddenly leapt from one of the empty stands and wrapped itself around Ellis. Ellis stumbled toward the test of strength where Rochelle and Coach shot it off him. The corpse fell and landed on the platform that was supposed to be hit with a hammer. The impact force sent the metal weight shooting up, heading toward the bell. Coach, Rochelle and Ellis watched, terrified as it went up.

Outside, Nick and Jimmy were standing around the car, not really doing anything. Nick was playing with his gun, taking out and reloading the magazine. He and Jimmy heard the bell ring in the distance.

The sideshows were knocked over by a horde of infected running for the Coach, Rochelle and Ellis who moved away from the now lit up and ringing test of strength sideshow. They immediately opened fire as they attempted to move ahead.

'More in front of us,' Rochelle cried, taking her AK-47 and firing at the infected. She shot in front while Coach and Ellis fired to the rear. The numbers were too many, so Coach took his grenade launcher and fired at the horde, the explosion sent flaming infected flying in all directions, including by Rochelle, landing in front of her.

'This way,' Coach cried, causing them to double back. Rochelle suppressed the advance of the infected chasing them but not by much. Running around the food stalls, Coach allowed Ellis and Rochelle to get behind him as he fired on the propane tank of one of the stalls. The lack of an explosion meant it was empty. The two others followed Coach's lead and fired at other propane tanks, most of them not exploding. Finally, Ellis shot one tank and it erupted in flames, the fire blasting through the stalls and knocking the infected back.

With the explosion, the survivors continued to move and made their way toward the more large attractions, the horde still after them. Ellis looked in the distance and saw a sign.

'This way!' he cried, leading the others down a new path. The infected followed, running over the sign that directed people to the tunnel of love. With the entrance to the tunnel in front of them, the survivors pushed forward, running faster than before and ascending the stairs that went inside. Coach was the last one in; slamming the door shut behind him and continued to follow Ellis.

'Nice place to die,' Rochelle said through gasps for breath,

'We gotta keep moving!' Coach instructed, taking the lead once again.

Inside the tunnel of love was cold, stagnant water with boats that looked like swans running through it. The water was several of inches thick and the smell of it was inescapable. Infected were inside the tunnel, making their way toward the survivors. Splashing through the water, they fired at those that got close, Ellis changing his weapon to his combat shotgun. Coach reloaded his grenade launcher and decided to use his assault rifle to dispatch enemies. He was in front, Rochelle in the middle and Ellis to the rear. Suddenly, a Smoker's tongue wrapped around Ellis and dragged him away from the group, through the infected. Rochelle ran after him, shooting more enemies as she got close. Coach was now alone and heard the cry of a Hunter. The monster leapt from behind him and pushed him face first into the water. Coach was being mauled by the beast as well as drowning.

Rochelle looked back and saw Coach struggling. She then heard the frightful cry of a Spitter, who was beside the Smoker. It spat a path of acid along the route Ellis was being dragged. He was so close to being dragged through the acidic sludge. Rochelle fired a few shots at the Spitter's stomach as she turned to face Coach. The Spitter died, sending its acid flying everywhere. Some sludge coated the Smoker and it's tongue was severed as it began to dissolve. Ellis' dragging was halted and he got his hands free to take out the infected that were now surrounding him. Rochelle, meanwhile, fired a few shots at the Hunter, allowing Coach to elbow the dead body away and stand up. Rochelle joined him, followed by Ellis who was still shooting at the infected.

Continuing their journey through the tunnel, Coach turned a corner and ran into the warehouse where the spare swan boats were kept. A metallic set of stairs went upward, leading toward a maintenance area. Ellis was the first up the stairs, taking his hunting rifle out as he reached the top and shooting the infected behind Rochelle and Coach. Through his scope he saw the sea of infected being parted by a Charger running through them. It grabbed Coach, throwing him across the room and grabbed Rochelle, lifting her and slamming her against the ground. Ellis fired a few rounds of his shotgun at the Charger while Coach riddled it with bullets from his assault rifle as he stood up and ran for it. The Charger soon fell dead and Coach lifted Rochelle to her feet and fired blindly behind as they ran up the catwalks.

Dashing across the maintenance area, the survivors found themselves above the ceiling of the tunnel of love. Running past the lighting fixtures, they made their way toward an emergency exit, following the illuminated signs. Ellis looked back and saw there were no infected immediately behind them and could hear their cries getting farther away. He fell over as Rochelle and Coach stopped suddenly as he was not looking where he was going. When he looked up he saw a Witch sat on the ground in front of the exit door, weeping quietly.

'Shit!' Rochelle whispered. The rumble of the infected was getting closer, prompting them to make a choice; go back and fight or go ahead and most likely die.

Coach took his axe and swung it down on the Witch's face.

'Run!' he cried and the other two made their way through the door with Coach running past the Witch and slamming it shut. The door immediately burst open, shattering to pieces as the Witch ran madly at Coach, screaming at him. They were on the roof of the tunnel of love now and just ahead was the rollercoaster. Coach jumped onto a lower portion of the roof and saw the latticework foundation of the ride was really close. He got near to the edge and jumped as far as he could toward the rollercoaster, leaping over a crippling drop and grabbing onto the scaffolding. The Witch followed but fell to the ground. The infected came out of the emergency exit door on the roof and, not wanting to fight them, Rochelle and Ellis looked to each other, nodded and then jumped to the rollercoaster as well.

They were now climbing up as fast as they could. The infected fell to the ground and were surrounding the foundations, climbing up after them. The Witch pushed past the slower infected and climbed at a frighteningly quick pace, her claws shattering the wooden supports. The heavy weight of the infected was also damaging the rollercoaster. The horde spread out underneath the tracks and made it where people could access the rails and board the cars. They began running up the tracks toward Coach, Ellis and Rochelle who were slowly getting to the top. The gap between the survivors and the infected was narrowing hastily. The Witch grabbed Coach's foot and hung onto it. Rochelle looked over and fired a few shots at her, loosening her grip, allowing Coach to kick her down. The Witch landed on the ground, got up and resumed climbing.

The infected were now so close, Rochelle could hear them breathing. Ellis, who was good at climbing had just reached the top and was stood on the tracks. Coach was the next to reach the top and Ellis pulled him up. He looked down the tracks and saw the infected running for them.

'Hurry up, Ro!' he called for her, lowering himself to grab her hand. Rochelle was so close to Ellis' hand she grabbed it but found herself weighed down by the infected that were grabbing hold of her. Coach helped Ellis but the infected were too strong, pulling her back down.

'Let go and run!' she gasped.

'The hell we will!' Coach took out his grenade launcher, firing a shot to the ground. The blast shook the entire coaster and the infected fell of Rochelle and Ellis pulled her up. They took a moment to catch their breath, but only a moment as the Witch was still climbing quickly up the shaky foundations. Running away from her and the infected that were going through the tracks, the survivors climbed up a ramp that went up before it shot straight down.

Elsewhere, in the main control room, infected climbed through there to get onto the tracks, knocking some switches in the process. The cars of the rollercoaster began to move, running quickly along the tracks, taking out some of the infected. It was headed straight for the survivors. The Witch climbed up onto the tracks and sprinted after Coach. Sliding down the ramp, the three continued running along the tracks. They made their way through a small tunnel while the Witch and the rollercoaster cars came closer. Turning a corner, they saw it, ahead, the disembarking station. Redoubling their efforts, Coach, Rochelle and Ellis sprinted toward the exit, infected still swarming underneath them. Rochelle looked over and saw the cars rocketing along the shaky foundations.

'We gotta move quick!' she gasped. The car ran over the tracks above where Coach had fired his grenade launcher and as it passed, the foundations gave away. The tracks began to collapse and fall to the ground. The path of destruction followed the tracks in both directions, soon the rollercoaster would be no more. The cars ploughed through infected, showing no signs of slowing down. Their bodies lay on the tracks as it passed through them, falling down with the splintering wood and metal.

Coach made it to the disembarking area and jumped off to the higher walkways above the horde. Rochelle joined him but Ellis tripped and fell. He looked back and saw the Witch, it was so close now but so were the speeding cars that were just behind her. Both the Witch and Ellis were in the path of the cars and Ellis looked away, closing his eyes and bracing himself to be run over. Coach and Rochelle grabbed Ellis and pulled him back to safety just as the cars crashed through the Witch. The three lay on the floor, breathing heavily for a moment before the violent crashing vibrations of the rollercoaster collapsing could be heard. Standing, they ran as fast as they could over the walkway, the disembarking station reduced to dust behind them. The pathway started collapsing and the survivors ran as fast as they could, getting so close to safety. Rochelle felt the floor collapsing under her feet and jumped forward as it did, jumping onto a concrete walkway while the path fell onto the horde.

The rollercoaster collapsed in one massive spectacular heap, laying waste to the horde of infected nearby. The survivors, breathing heavily looked around where they were now. Coach looked up and smiled.

'We're here,' he uttered between breaths. Looking up, Ellis and Rochelle saw that they were by a stadium, the featured act was the Midnight Riders.

*

Coach opened the door to his apartment and was shocked to find Miles and his two bodyguards inside with Ruth. They were sat, talking together.

'What the hell are you doing here?' Coach asked. Ruth was surprised by his rude tone. Miles stood up and held out his hand, expecting Coach to shake it.

'Nice to see you again,' he smiled falsely. 'I was just talking to the lovely Ruth here about...' Coach took Miles hand and pulled him toward the door and kicked him out into the corridor. The two bodyguards moved toward Coach but Miles lifted his palm up. 'Let's go, boys. I can see we're not wanted.' The two left and went down the hallway while Miles stood still, looking at Coach. 'See you around, friend.'

Coach slammed the door shut and locked it, turning around to see a confused and angry looking Ruth.

'What the hell was that all about?' she asked him.

'Why did you let them in?' Coach asked. Ruth narrowed her eyes and scoffed.

'They were the new realtors,' she explained. 'You know, for the house we're moving into? The house we're gonna raise our child in? Do you remember any of that before you got jealous and threw three people out of your apartment?'

'They weren't people,' Coach muttered. 'They're parasites.' Ruth sighed and looked away from him.

'We were talking about loans and finances before you burst in acting crazy,' she said. 'Why did you do that?'

'You don't need to question me!' Coach yelled.

'Well if you're gonna be doing things like that I think I should!' Ruth yelled back. 'Do you do this often? Just lose your mind?'

'No,' Coach sat down on the sofa and buried his face in his hands, trying to calm himself down. 'They're just bad people, don't let them in again.' Ruth sat down next to him, also trying to be calm.

'What's wrong?' she asked him. Coach sighed and licked his lips, contemplating what he was going to say.

'They're criminals,' he told her, deciding to be blunt.

'What?'

'I met them a little under a month ago.'

'What are you doing talking to criminals?' Ruth asked, shuffling away from Coach slightly. He sighed and hung his head.

'I borrowed some money from them,' he told her. Ruth let out a gasp of disbelief and looked away, shaking her head. 'I needed it for...'

'You're involved with loan sharks?' she asked him. 'Loan sharks? Do you realise how insane that sounds? You're a gym teacher for Christ sakes!'

'I know,' Coach nodded. 'But I needed it for something important.'

'Oh I hope you did!' Ruth stood up, furious. 'I hope whatever it was, was worth it. Now you've got them at your front door, asking for their money back. Is that it? You're such a fool!'

'I know!' Coach cried, looking to his fiancé desperately. 'I can't undo what's been done. All I can do is try and fix it.'

'Yes, fix it!' Ruth started pacing. 'How will you do that, eh? Will you kill them? Hide their bodies in the fridge? Lord knows you could fit one in there with the amount of shit you eat!'

'Come on!' Coach stood up. 'You know I wouldn't do that.'

'Well I thought I knew you well enough to know you wouldn't associate with criminals!'

'It was the one time!' Coach attempted to justify his actions and heard how stupid his reasons were as they came out his mouth.

'So what did you need the money for that one time then?' Ruth asked, glaring at him accusingly.

'I needed to get your ring!' he responded. Ruth's look of anger suddenly switched to one of confusion.

'What?' she asked.

'I needed that money to get you an engagement ring,' Coach told her. 'The bank wouldn't loan me any money and I sure as hell didn't have it so I was introduced to Miles...' Ruth slowly sat down on the couch, taking in what he was saying. 'You may feel like you don't know me but I know you. You're a well off girl, always have been. You've got expensive taste and I wanted something for you to wear every day that you would look at and know just how much you mean to me.' Ruth glanced up at Coach, who then sat down next to her. 'I wanted to get you something that would sum up how I feel about you.'

Ruth swallowed, her mouth was dry. She leant close to Coach and looked at him tenderly.

'You obviously don't know me as well as you think,' she told him softly. 'You could have given me a ring made out of onions for all I care and I still would have loved you. I hardly need a diamond ring to prove to people that I love you, I think our baby does that already.' Coach let out a breath and held Ruth's hand. 'Take the ring,' she said. 'Sell it, give it to them... I don't care. I just want them off our backs so we can live our life together because I do not care one bit about how much money you have. I just care about you.'

Coach smiled and nodded, suppressing tears. He stood up and went to the door.

'I'll go get the ring,' he told her. He shot a tender glance at Ruth before leaving. Coach drove to the school and entered his office. Sitting in the chair he opened his desk drawer and retrieved the diamond ring that was lying on top of the Midnight Riders tickets that Ruth had given him on his birthday. He smiled as he looked at them and then shut the drawer, putting the ring in his pocket and taking out his phone.

'Miles,' he said, 'I can pay you back now.'

'Your actions earlier were appalling,' Miles said flatly. 'I don't appreciate the way you treated me in front of my men, and your fiancé. It sets a bad example.' Coach frowned as he listened. 'Don't worry,' Miles continued. 'You'll see the error of your ways soon enough. For now enjoy the time you have with your fiancé.' Miles hung up and left Coach stood in his office, thinking.

*

Outside Whispering Oaks, Nick and Jimmy were silently passing the time. Jimmy looked up at Nick who was staring up at the stars as he leant against the admissions booth.

'She's hot isn't she?' Jimmy decided to break the silence. 'Rochelle, I mean.' Nick looked away from the sky and over to the racer.

'What?' he asked.

'Rochelle,' Jimmy repeated. 'She's mighty fine. You seemed to piss her off good and proper though.'

'Don't you talk about Rochelle,' Nick muttered. Jimmy laughed and stepped around the car, leaning against it.

'You sorta blew it, didn't you?' he continued. 'You need to learn to be a team player!'

'Says you!' Nick stood up. 'You were living alone in the mall until we found you. I thought you told me not to lean on the paintwork?'

'Yeah but that's you, not me,' Jimmy chuckled. Nick muttered disparagingly and paced around the parking lot some more. 'So you dig Rochelle?'

'What does it matter?' Nick asked.

'Matters to me,' Jimmy nodded. 'In this here zombie apocalypse, you don't have a lot of time left for tender moments.'

'I doubt you two will be sharing any "tender moments",' Nick chuckled.

'What makes you so sure?' Jimmy questioned.

'Well she spent most of the trip so far with her head on _my_ shoulder,' he pointed out. 'That and she finds you repulsive.'

'Well then,' Jimmy sighed. 'Looks like you're interested in her then?'

'What does it matter?' Nick repeated.

'Well you ain't never gonna get her with that attitude,' Jimmy told him. 'You gotta be a team player and care about people if you wanna hook that girl.'

'I'm not taking romance advice from you,' Nick said dismissively.

'I had more sex than you, boy,' Jimmy told him.

'I doubt that,' Nick shook his head.

'I been with about forty girls and twenty guys,' Jimmy bragged. 'The trick is to act like you care about them and their problems and so on.'

'I'm sure the fact that you're as famous as Elvis in these parts has nothing to do with it,' Nick said sarcastically.

'Who said that?' Jimmy asked.

'Coach did. Ellis said he'd have your kids.'

'Really?' Jimmy paused and thought a moment. 'So, you know Ellis well?'

'I'm not setting you up with Ellis, Rochelle or Coach!' Nick cried. 'And you've got no chance with me, either.'

'Sounds like you don't got much chance of being with anyone, either,' Jimmy noted. 'You're very angry toward people.'

'Yeah?' Nick was humouring him now. 'And what makes you say that?'

'From what I hear you didn't want to save Ellis from the mall,' Jimmy explained. 'You didn't want to go with Coach to do something that meant a great deal to him. You don't like people, you're angry.'

'Well the whole world's falling to shit,' Nick muttered. 'Don't I got a right to be angry?'

'Sure you do,' Jimmy acknowledged. 'But the others aren't angry. They're just happy to still be alive and be with other people. Why don't you feel the same way?'

Nick did not answer Jimmy right away. He thought about his life, about his father and the work they did. The only two people Nick had trusted in his life were his mother and father, Peter. His mother walked out on him and his father long ago, when Nick was still growing up. He formed a special bond with Peter after that, trusting him completely and absolutely, even with his life. Then, suddenly, Peter walked out of his life as quickly and suddenly as his mother had. Nick felt angry and lonely and did not want to be hurt again, so he went to the rooftop where he and his father last worked together to try and remember the good times while he waited to die.

Then Rochelle came.

She was beautiful, perky, interesting and compassionate. She was everything Nick could never be; everything that he wanted. He found himself trusting her because of her kindness, her determination to help those in need and her passion for wanting to be a journalist. He liked her.

He liked her a lot.

Nick felt terrified at the prospect, so terrified that when Rochelle rest her head on his shoulder, he broke out in a cold sweat, afraid of what might happen. He might like her, trust her and then she could get killed by one of the infected or if they survived, just walk away and they would never see each other again. He tried so hard to distance himself away from her and the others but found that he was physically unable to. He wanted to push her off his shoulder as she rested but he could not. He liked it, he needed the comfort as much as she did.

He was slowly starting to like the others, too. Coach was an annoyance sometimes but had a good heart while Ellis was plain annoying with his accent and stupid stories about his friend, Keith, but Nick could not imagine being without them. He felt protective over them, as if they were like family, almost. He felt angry when he saw Ellis' black eye that Whitaker had given him. He felt like he needed to protect Ellis, as if her were a young sibling. He felt safe around Coach, who he found himself looking up to. Coach was a strong man, overcoming a knee injury to survive the new world. He was kind hearted and jolly and Nick wondered if this was what a proper father figure was like. He wondered if Coach had any kids of his own. Nick admired the way Coach and Ellis bonded well with each other, possibly because they came from the same place, but the friendship that was forming between them was everything Nick wanted with someone else. He was even starting to grow accustomed to Jimmy Gibbs Jr. Despite his annoying accent, weird facial hair and annoying perverse nature, he had taken them with him in his car. Maybe he needed the company as much as they needed saving.

Nick then realised it wasn't the world and everyone else he hated; it was himself.

'I...' Nick finally answered Jimmy, his hands trembling. 'I can't...' Tears fell from his eyes and Jimmy looked shocked as he noticed. Nick wiped them from his face and began sniffing. 'I can't be something that I'm not.' Jimmy moved over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

'And what are you?' he asked.

'I dunno,' Nick shook his head. 'What am I?' Jimmy paused and patted him on the back.

'Part of a team,' he told him. Jimmy led Nick over to the car and both of them leant on the hood of it.

*

Coach was driving home, Miles' words shaking around in his head. What did he mean? Why did he feel so worried? Still having the ring in his pocket, Coach slowed down as he saw flashing lights ahead. A set of fire trucks were parked along the road with firemen looking up at a burning building, Coach's building. He stopped and stood out of the car and looked to his window. The usual gentle glow that came from his window was now a flickering dark one.

'Oh dear God,' Coach gasped, taking out his phone and calling Ruth.

Inside the apartment, Ruth was huddled in the kitchen by the large fridge, coughing. She heard her phone ringing and answered it.

'Ruth!' Coach cried. 'Tell me you're out of there.'

'I'm not supposed to smoke because of the baby,' Ruth spluttered. It was hot, the flames were spreading.

'Oh my God,' Coach fell to the ground. 'Get out of there!'

'I can't,' Ruth shook her head. 'There's no way out.' She was so hot, she opened the fridge to try and get some cool air but it was not enough. 'I'm not gonna make it.'

'Shut up!' Coach told her. 'You have to make it, we've got a whole life planned together, right? After all the trouble I went through to get that ring you're gonna be around to wear it!'

'Yeah?' Ruth asked, trying to stand up.

'Yes!' Coach told her. 'You're gonna get out of there and we'll live in that house together and we'll be away from Miles and that lot and it'll just be you me and the baby.' Tears flowed from his eyes and his head fell down to the ground. He dropped his phone and began weeping. Tears fell onto the street as the building burnt. The glass windows of his apartment shattered and Coach looked up and saw the smoke billowing out. He decided to act. 'I'm coming for you,' he spoke into the phone.

Standing, Coach made his way forward, pushing past the crowd that had formed. He tried to get to the building entrance but could not as firemen were blocking the way.

'We can't let you in!' he insisted.

'I am saving my fiancé!' Coach cried. 'You can't stop me!'

'Sir if you go in you'll be putting yourself and our firemen in danger,' he was told. 'Just let us do our jobs.'

'I need to save her, she's carrying my child!'

'Be that as it may, sir, we still can't...'

A massive explosion tore through the building, sending chunks of flaming brick and debris into the air. The explosion came from Coach's apartment. Coach let out a massive scream as he saw his home and life get blown to pieces in a swift and sudden bang. He fell to the ground, weeping as the flames died down and the smoke drifted away revealing nothing but charred furniture. Coach wept on the ground for hours, mourning the loss of Ruth. He held her ring in his hand, clenching it to a fist and punching the ground. Before the police or anyone else could talk to him, Coach got in his car and started driving. There was once place he needed to go.

*

They had made it; the stage was right in front of them. Coach led Ellis and Rochelle forward, bypassing the empty seats and abandoned sound equipment toward the centre. He imagined what the place must look like when it was all lit up and the band were playing. Two weeks ago that could have been a reality. So much had changed in such a short space of time, it was terrifying. Stepping onto the stage, Coach looked around and took a breath, savouring the taste of the air. He could almost hear the music playing, smell the pyrotechnics and feel the atmosphere as the crowd watched the band play. He closed his eyes and he could almost see Ruth standing beside him, holding his hand and smiling. He could almost see the life he got so close to having.

Coach reached into his pocket and took out Ruth's engagement ring. He also retrieved two tickets to see the Midnight Riders. Walking on the centre stage, he knelt down by the lead microphone stand, lifted it up and placed the tickets underneath them. He then stopped for a moment, kneeling there.

*

Miles' house was surprisingly grotty, for a man of his wealth. He was sat inside the main room, smoking something Coach could not identify, not that he wanted to. He moved away from the window and went to his car.

Inside, Miles took a deep breath and blew out a large cloud of smoke. He lay on his couch feeling very pleased for himself. Light suddenly pierced through the window from the outside. Miles stood up and looked at what was causing it. A car then crashed through the glass, taking out the entire living area. Miles dived out of the way in time to avoid being crushed. Coach's car crashed through the back wall of the room and landed in the kitchen. When it came to a stop, he stepped out, slightly wobbly. Looking up he saw the two bodyguards making their way for him, they had guns. Coach ducked as they began shooting, using his car as cover.

Beside him were a set of knives that he had knocked over in the crash. Taking one, he threw it at one of the bodyguard, the blade sinking into his stomach. The man fell and Coach dived for him, taking his gun and shooting the other bodyguard dead. Stepping over the bleeding man, Coach saw Miles who tried to run and escape. He shot him in the back.

Miles fell to the ground and rolled over.

'You shot me!' he spat. Coach knelt down next to him and pulled him up by his collar.

'Why?' was his only question. Miles chuckled to himself and shook his head.

'You messed with the wrong guys, man,' he told him.

'You just seen what I did to your guys?' Coach asked, leaning closer. 'You messed with the wrong guy.'

'All this for a fucking ring?' Miles asked.

'No!' Coach yelled, slamming Miles' head back down on the ground. 'All this for Ruth! And my baby!'

'She was pregnant?' Miles asked. 'Wow... I just thought she was fat.' Coach stood up and shot Miles, pulling the trigger repeatedly until there were no bullets left in the magazine. Looking down at Miles' corpse, Coach did not feel any better. He had failed to protect Ruth. Letting the weapon slip from his fingers he left the house and started walking. He decided to head for the school to wait to be arrested as he no longer had a home. He wanted to be somewhere where he could remember Ruth.'

*

Ellis looked at Coach, speculating.

'Is that what was in your desk?' he asked him. Coach nodded.

'This is all I have left of her,' Coach told Ellis and Rochelle. 'I couldn't help her and it was my fault that she died...' Ellis and Rochelle looked silently at each other. Coach swallowed and stood up, stepping back from the tickets, holding the ring. 'I gotta move on,' he told himself, sliding the ring back into his pocket. He turned around and faced the others who were looking tenderly at him. Coach smiled at his new family and started walking.

'Let's go,' he said. 'We should be able to get back a lot quicker.' He walked away, leaving the Midnight Riders tickets flapping in the wind.

*

Nick and Jimmy were talking casually as Coach, Rochelle and Ellis returned to the car. The two finished their conversation and looked over to them. Nick glanced at Rochelle who smiled at him.

'So did you do what you needed to do?' Jimmy asked Coach, who nodded in response.

'It's over now,' he told him, walking toward the car. 'Thanks guys.' Nick took Rochelle aside as the others got inside the car.

'Listen,' he told her quietly. 'I've never really been one to say these things but... I'm sorry for being a dick.' Rochelle's smile widened as she heard Nick's words. He held her hand to his face and stoked his cheek before moving on to the car, without saying anything. Nick followed and soon they were all inside the Dodge Charger, continuing their journey to New Orleans.

Back at the stage, the tickets Coach had placed there loosened from the microphone stand and blew away with the wind.


	7. Chapter 7

7. Deal with the Devil

The survivors found themselves on a picturesque road going through some trees. According to Nick's map-reading skills, heading through this way would shave about two hours off their trip. Six hours later, tempers were running high as nobody really appeared to know where they were.

'This is not good,' Ellis muttered. 'What's worse than a zombie apocalypse? A zombie apocalypse in the creepy woods! Have any of you played Resident Evil?'

'Maybe if I have a look at the map?' Rochelle suggested.

'Oh yeah,' Coach spoke sarcastically. 'That's a good plan; get the girl from Ohio to get us out of the woods near Georgia.'

'If you can't read a map you're an idiot,' Nick commented. 'That's probably why you gave us the map, though.'

'We could go to the airport?' Jimmy suggested.

'Then what will we do?' Coach asked.

'I can fly a plane,' Ellis told him.

'Ellis you cannot fly a plane!' Nick spat.

'Well we won't need to do the flying because whoever's in there can do it for us,' Jimmy nodded forward. Everyone looked out the window and saw a small airplane flying low and preparing to land.

Jimmy turned the wheel to follow the plane after everyone in the car began yelling at him to chase it. Coming off the freeway, Jimmy drove forward to the small airfield that was less than half a mile from the road. The plane appeared to be a very small passenger plane, with a capacity of no more than one hundred passengers. The plane flew over the airfield and began to turn in the distance to land. A young woman was stood in the control tower, holding a pair of binoculars. She saw the Dodge Charger approaching the airfield and took a small radio.

'We got company, Warren,' she said.

'I'll deal with it, Eliza,' Warren said into his radio. He was stood by the front of the airfield behind a large mounted machine gun. He gripped the trigger of the weapon and aimed for where the car would pop up over the hill. Eliza looked over at the plane as it was coming in to land, her long blonde hair swaying in the wind. She cocked her pistol and started to walk down, out of the control tower. Before she left she took a large shotgun as a backup weapon.

The car emerged from under the hill and Warren began firing on it. Bullets shot through the Dodge Charger and it skidded and lurched to the side. The survivors inside were shaken around as the car tilted onto two wheels and then began a crashing roll, smashing forward toward the machine gun. Warren stopped shooting and dived out of the way as the car smashed through the pitiful barricade and onto the runway just as the plane touched down.

The upturned vehicle was right in the aircraft's way when it came to a stop, bursting into flames. The plane started to slow down but it did not look as if it would stop in time. Jimmy and Rochelle crawled from the wreckage to get their bearings. Rochelle looked over and saw Warren standing up and start shooting at them. Taking cover behind the car, she started returning fire as Jimmy pulled Nick and Ellis from the wreck, leaving his hand on Ellis' rear for quite some time as he assisted him out. Coach was stuck in the front passenger's seat. He tried getting his seatbelt to unbuckle but began coughing and choking.

'Thought these were supposed to save lives!' he spat dust out of his mouth. Warren continued shooting and the fire intensified, spreading from the undercarriage of the car to the rear of the interior. Rochelle stuck her neck out and fired once more, hitting Warren's leg. He fell off his feet and dropped his gun.

'Get him!' she ordered. Rochelle and Nick ran to secure the weapon but Ellis and Jimmy stayed with Coach.

'What can we do?' Jimmy asked. The fire was getting worse and the plane was breaking hard but was now getting too close to them. It was about 300 yards away.

'Coach!' Ellis cried, running around the other side of the car to get close to him. 'Give me your axe and grenade launcher!' Coach obliged and managed to pass Jimmy the axe and Ellis the grenade launcher.

Now 200 yards from disaster, Jimmy and Ellis stepped away from the Dodge Charger.

100 yards left and Ellis aimed the grenade launcher just right.

'Hold on Coach!' he cried. He fired the shell nearby and the force of the blast sent the car rolling out of the way of the plane, the wing narrowly missing the flying car. Ellis and Jimmy split and jumped apart to avoid being hit by the plane and stood up, running to Coach. Using the axe, Jimmy tore the door off and he and Ellis managed to pull him out of the burning vehicle. As they did, the engagement ring that Coach had got for his fiancé fell out of his pocket.

Rochelle and Nick huddled around Warren, with Rochelle kicking the pistol away from him as he tried to grasp it and Nick taking it.

'Who the hell is this guy?' Nick asked, after kicking him unconscious. 'Why was he shooting at us?'

'To protect us from the likes of you assassins,' said a female voice from behind. Rochelle turned around to see Eliza just as she bashed her over the head with her shotgun. She fell and Eliza stepped around her, aiming her weapon at Nick. 'I would tell you to deliver a message to your boss from us,' she put her finger on the trigger. 'But it appears that you're not going to be around to that.'

'Now wait,' Nick held up his hands. 'I don't know who you think we are but...'

'I know just who you are,' Eliza insisted, cocking her gun, 'You're the vermin that's trying to take us down! I think I'll use your corpses to form a new barricade.'

'If you think I'm too ladylike to hit another woman,' Rochelle said, standing up behind Eliza, 'you'd be wrong.'

Eliza turned on the spot, sending her foot flying through the air to kick Rochelle in the face. At the same time, she threw her shotgun at Nick, it hitting in straight in the face and knocking him to the ground, unconscious. Rochelle blocked Eliza's attack, holding her foot and pulling her backward, off her feet. As she fell, Eliza used her free foot and launched it upward, kicking Rochelle in her groin. Dropping her in pain, Eliza jumped from her back onto her feet and marched forward; using her knee to smash the hunched Rochelle in the face and doing another twist kick to push her backward off her feet.

'Feel free to let me know when you're going to start,' Eliza taunted. Rochelle swooped her foot on the ground and knocked Eliza over. She stood up and pulled her up by her hair, holding her face in front of her own and punching her with all her might. Eliza broke away from Rochelle by pushing her head away, ripping out some of her own hairs in the process. With some distance between her and Rochelle, Eliza composed herself opposite her, running her fingers over her bald patch before clenching her fists.

The two lunged forward, sending punches toward each other. Eliza hit Rochelle's jaw, knocking her off balance. Recovering from the blow, Rochelle grabbed her fist, spun her around and got Eliza into a chokehold. The two faced the same way as he held her, but the battle was far from over. Eliza managed to lean forward and bend her leg enough to kick Rochelle in the back of the head, loosening her grip to allow her to escape. She did an immediate handstand, using her legs to kick Rochelle in the face as she went up. Standing there, she pushed hard and flew backward, launching herself into Rochelle and straddling her on the ground. She moved her hands but Rochelle grabbed them and twisted her fingers, causing her to spasm slightly in pain. Eliza head butted Rochelle, dazing her and strangling her.

'If you think I won't hit a woman while her back is turned,' Nick's voice came from behind, 'you're wrong.'

Pulling Eliza off Rochelle and throwing her across the ground, Nick checked to see if she was alright and then stepped close to his target.

'I don't know who you are,' he told Eliza as she wiped her bloody lip as she got to her feet. 'But we are not who you think we are.'

Meanwhile the airplane was coming to a stop and Coach limped away from the flaming wreck. He took his weapons back and began to check himself.

'Thanks, guys,' he told them. Ellis and Jimmy stepped away from the wreck when Coach suddenly looked back and ran back to the flaming car, diving inside.

'Coach what the hell are you doing?' Ellis asked, running after him. Jimmy stepped back, maintaining his distance.

'That thing's gonna blow!' he cried. Ellis pulled Coach out but Coach used his elbow to push him back. Looking desperately through the smoke, Coach saw the glimmer of the ring and he grabbed it before running out. Taking Ellis by the wrist, they got clear of the wreckage and were knocked off their feet as the car exploded.

Nick looked over in the direction of the blast and Eliza jumped forward, slapping his cheek causing him to stumble to the side, spin him around and wrap her arm around his neck, pulling him close.

'Your lies mean nothing to me!' she spat.

'Maybe this gun will,' Rochelle held her pistol to Eliza's head. Eliza sighed, closed her eyes and pushed Nick away. He then turned around and aimed his weapon at her.

The airplane's engines died down and the door opened with a small staircase falling from the fuselage of the plane, allowing the pilot to step out. She was a middle aged woman with grey hair called Cybil.

'Cybil get out of here!' Eliza yelled just before Rochelle knocked her in the head with her gun. Cybil looked over down the runway and saw Coach, Ellis and Jimmy aiming weapons at her. Cybil sighed and shook her head.

'Oh please,' she stepped off the stairs and spoke very patronisingly. 'If you're going to shoot me then just do it. I don't have as much time for theatrics as the other two do.'

'We're not going to shoot you,' Coach told her. 'We just want to make sure you don't try and shoot us.' Cybil looked over at Eliza and then Warren, sighing as she noticed they were unconscious.

'My boy,' she faced Coach. 'I believe we've got off on the wrong foot.'

*

The south lawn of the White House was littered with dilapidated tents, abandoned rescue and army vehicles and hundreds of bodies. The building and the surrounding area showed signs of heavy bombing by the military. The corpses that crowded the green grass had stained it with blood, furthering the grim evidence of the battle that had been waged there recently. The United States had fallen victim to a plague; a disease so frighteningly potent it changed the very being of those who had been infected. Those people became irritable, rash and lost all traces of their humanity. Left in the putrid shell of the infected were monsters, monsters that wanted nothing more than to destroy everything in front of them. These people who had been infected were the lucky ones, as the disease had caused striking mutations in other, less fortunate people. Some people became heavily muscular and could hardly walk under their own weight. Others had their tongues grow so long they could stretch for over fifty feet, making it difficult for them to breathe and move. For some people, their stomach bloated, causing them to waddle and suffer a violently grim death if their frail skin was pierced. Corpses of these people were also lying on the south lawn of the White House.

Inside the situation was not much better. Weapons and ammunition were placed at strategic locations throughout the building, with the people who attempted to defend them lying dead nearby. Furniture had been rearranged to form barricades, most of which had been broken through. Windows were smashed and all throughout all of the corridors and rooms, bodies carpeted them and silence decorated them.

This silence was interrupted by a bang and a loud groan. Down various stairwells and passageways a single infected, very muscular, was banging relentlessly on a large metallic door. Through the thick steel was a small room, occupied by several people cowering around in fear. The staff of the White House had managed to escape here, only to be trapped by the Tank that was outside, desperate to break in. The room was quite modern, with computer terminals and television screens placed around the walls, none of them working. Sprinkler systems were in place on the ceiling that had dim halogen lights. The rear wall was decorated with the American flag. With a particularly forceful bash, the top right corner of the door bent inward. Several people flinched as they saw it happen. Some people began to cry, others started to get angry. One woman did neither, however. She was stood watching the door, a handgun in her hand ready to fight what was trying to get in. Her hair was neat and a light brown with a faint wisp of grey. Her suit was slightly tattered, but it was clear that it was sleek and elegant.

Norah Hanham was stood with her back to the rear wall and a small desk separating her from the increasingly damaged door. She watched as it slowly became clear that there was no way out of this situation and that the Tank was not going to stop it's assault. A man came up to her, distraught.

'For Christ sakes, Norah!' he cried. 'That thing is going to get in here any second!'

'I know,' Norah said, not taking her eyes off the door. She pulled the slide back of her gun and let it snap back. 'We're going to fight it.'

'You're insane!' the man protested. 'You've got the only gun. You can't defeat one of those things with a handgun!'

'Well I'm going to try,' she said firmly, looking away from the door and into his eyes. 'No one else is going to try so that responsibility falls on my shoulders.'

'No one else wants to get torn apart by those things! We want to die on our own terms, as painlessly as possible.'

'Sorry,' Norah spoke defiantly. 'No mercy killings on my watch.'

'I can't believe this,' he walked away, upset. Suddenly, he turned and pointed at her. 'Who are you to make these decisions for us?'

'As the President and most of the Cabinet have managed to leave the country safely, I am the highest ranking official left in this room and left in the United States, period,' she spoke with passion and intolerance of those who wanted to just give up. 'I have spent my whole life serving my country, as you all have. I am not going to throw in the towel now just because things seem bleak.'

'Things are bleak, Norah!' the man insisted.

'That's Madam Secretary, thank you!' she retorted snidely. 'Today, America has fallen. We have failed at our jobs of protecting this great nation from danger and we only have ourselves to blame.' There was a silence in the room, the Tank outside had even paused in its assault. 'We will not disservice our country any longer. We will fight to the end as the shame of just giving up is far worse than death.'

The crashing outside suddenly continued, this time with more determination. As the Tank tried to get in, an unusual sound could be heard from the door. It was a sizzling sound, the sizzling heard if cold water fell onto a hot surface. Along the outer edges of the door, a green substance was eroding the metal, burning it away. The Tank's assault was becoming more vigorous and the door began to fall apart.

'My God...' someone muttered. 'They're working together!' The door burst open and fell to the ground, revealing a large infected, the Tank. Norah lifted her handgun in the direction of her target and pulled the trigger. It was the first and only time she fired a gun and she would never pull the trigger again.

*

At the airfield, the plane that had just landed was being refuelled. As the fuel tanks were slowly filling up, the eight survivors were sat inside the plane. Cybil and Coach were stood in the aisle, which ran down the centre of the cabin. They were stood far apart and on one side were Nick, Ellis and Rochelle while Jimmy, Eliza and Warren were on the other. Warren was wincing in pain as Eliza treated his leg wound, shooting hateful glances at Rochelle.

'Well I'm sorry that my guys tried to get you,' Cybil spoke, not sounding very sorry. 'I mean it's not as if that's what we're fighting against guys, eh?' she looked down at Eliza and Warren. 'It's not as if our mission is to help people.'

'I thought they were _him_, coming back,' Warren explained. Cybil shook her head and gestured to the others.

'Do you see them? she asked rhetorically. 'Do you see the same civilians I'm seeing; the ones without a bald head, horrible tattoos and incredible muscles?' She chuckled and gestured to Nick. 'This guy couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag.'

'Took care of your guys though, didn't I?' he responded.

'With the help of a girl,' Cybil folded her arms and looked snide.

'Still helped,' Nick muttered.

'To be fair _she_ did do most of the work,' Eliza acknowledged.

'So you were beaten by a... what?' Cybil looked over at Coach, Rochelle, Ellis and Nick. 'By an obese football player, a scrawny reporter, a dull mechanic and some weak-ass lawyer?'

'And me!' Jimmy raised his hand. Cybil gave him a sarcastic glance.

'And a sly, inbred race car driver who managed to crash right in front of my plane?' Cybil raised her hands and sighed. 'My God this has been a hard two weeks.'

'What've you been doing?' Coach asked.

'Well it's quite simple,' Cybil explained. 'When these retards aren't shooting them; I pickup and fly survivors to evacuation zones around the country.'

'Sounds like we're on the right flight,' Ellis commented, excitedly.

'Well it doesn't work quite like that,' Cybil raised her hand. 'You need to pay.

'The fuck you say?' Nick stood up.

'Sit down,' Cybil ordered. Nick remained stood up. Cybil sighed and looked over to him. 'If you want to get out of here then the last thing you're going to want to do is piss off the pilot so sit down.' Rochelle took Nick's hand and gave it a gentle tug, pulling him down.

'As I was saying,' Cybil went on. 'Air travel ain't cheap and the economy is about as dire as it's ever been so a little extra goes a long way.'

'You greedy bitch,' Rochelle cried. 'You're exploiting people for cash?'

'Well with America pretty much bent over and fucked in the ass,' Cybil looked at her, 'the value of the dollar is essentially worth about as much as the air around us. The paper it's printed on will be worth more. We're looking for something more valuable. It seems like a fair trade? What could have more value than a human life, right?'

'I already don't like you,' Ellis muttered. Cybil looked at him and smiled.

'So what have you got? That camera of yours looks pretty nifty.' Rochelle clutched her camera comfortingly but Coach stepped forward and threw something to Cybil.

'What about that?' he asked. Cybil caught the engagement ring he threw at her and looked it over, tossing it to Warren.

'Oh yeah,' he nodded. 'This is worth a fair cop.'

'Welcome aboard passengers,' Cybil smiled.

'Where are we going to?' Nick asked. 'New Orleans?' Cybil gave him a surprised look and nodded.

'Very good,' she told him. 'We'll all head there shortly. This will be our last trip. We will pick up the boss in New Orleans and then fly across to Mexico.'

Ellis stepped over to Coach and patted him on the shoulder.

'Isn't that,' he said softly and carefully. 'You know? _Her_ ring?'

'Some things are more important,' Coach told him, taking a seat.

Nick followed Cybil as she went outside and disconnected the fuel pump.

'Why did your guys shoot at us?' he asked as she secured the plane, ready to go. Cybil gave him a sly look and shook the hair from her face.

'We've had someone trying to kill us,' she told him. 'Don't know who it is but we think it's someone from one of the communities up ahead.'

'What do you mean?' he asked. Cybil sighed irritably and rubbed her forehead.

'Okay how can I explain this to a hick like you?'

'I'm not from around here,' Nick told her.

'Like I care,' Cybil continued checking the plane. 'Okay when the infection hit, several remote communities nearby sealed themselves off, away from contact from the outside world. A smart move, I guess. It'd stop someone from bringing the infection right to their doorstep. They repressed the military, CEDA... you name it. Anyone who got close was given a warning before they were shot dead.'

'Like we nearly were?' Nick said sarcastically. Cybil chuckled.

'Cute,' she muttered. 'Anyway these inbred bastards quickly became xenophobic and began shooting at people who even got close to them. Some communities collapsed but others, the more inbred ones survived the infection and did not get infected. I guess if the whole village are related to each other then that makes sense if they share the genetic immunity or whatever, I dunno. That's not the point. The point is they're paranoid that someone's going to come hurt them or some shit like that. They attack anyone who gets near them. That makes going on foot any further ahead impossible.'

'Bad news,' Nick muttered.

'Good for us,' Cybil chuckled as she went up the stairs. 'They can hardly shoot us down. They're God-damn hicks for Christ sake.'

In the distance, not too far away from the airfield, one of the people Cybil referred to as a "hick" had climbed a tree. He had an evil looking tattoo of the word "mortuus" on the back of his bald head. The man, Mortuus, was using a rope to pull something up the tree with him. He looked over in the distance and licked his lips. He needed to prevent what he and the rest of his community thought were the government, flying over them and taking pictures, preparing an assault. Mortuus finally took what he was pulling up in his hands, a large laser designated rocket launcher. Nearby on the ground was a crashed CEDA truck that had been commandeered by the locals. Mortuus loaded his weapon and waited.

The engines of the aircraft burst into life and everyone strapped themselves in. Jimmy tightened his belt somewhat and smiled.

'This takes me back,' he muttered. Rochelle frowned at him but Eliza spoke.

'Takes you back to what?'

'Young lady have you ever had sex on an airplane?'

'This plane doesn't have bathrooms,' Eliza muttered. Jimmy looked around and winked at her.

'We don't need a bathroom. I like people to watch.'

'The only sex you'll have with me will be watched, in your dreams!'

'What about your bleeding friend there?' Jimmy gestured to Warren. Eliza looked disgusted at him and glanced over at Rochelle, who gave her an understanding look. Eliza looked away from Rochelle rudely and just stared straight ahead. The airplane ran down the runway, past the crashed Dodge Charger and lifted into the air. Everyone felt relieved as they soared toward their destination; freedom.

*

As Norah pulled the trigger of her gun she felt her life flash before her eyes. She remembered the time when she was six years old and the president visited her school. She then remembered studying politics at college before moving on to rise up the political career ladder. She remembered meeting Edward, forming their unbreakable friendship quickly followed by being named the Secretary of State. Her final memories were of the Director and how much she loathed him.

Norah's single bullet hit the target and she looked as the Tank raised its fists to strike her. Norah was not aiming her weapon at the infected, however. She was pointing her gun up at the ceiling. The bullet fired from her gun went straight up and hit the sprinkler system. The sprinklers suddenly burst into life all over the White House, spraying the infected with water. The monsters suddenly let out a cry and fell to the ground, screaming in pain.

'Move out!' Norah cried, throwing her gun to the man who had questioned her. 'All yours, now.' The countermeasure that had been installed to fight the infected appeared to be working. The sprinkler water had been mixed with an experimental compound to attack the virus that was within the infected. Norah was unsure of whether it would work or not, considering the Director was the one who commissioned it and he had lied many times before.

Leaving the secure bunker, Norah managed to bypass the stray infected in the halls of the White House and fully comprehend the destruction that the Director had caused. Jumping past large bomb craters and moving down into the depths of the White House, Norah arrived at the other secure bunker and hammered on the door.

'It's Norah!' she cried. After a brief moment, the door opened and Edward stepped outside. She took his hand and nodded at him. 'I've got a plan,' she told him. 'It's time to bring that son of a bitch down!'

*

The plane was still climbing into the sky. Inside, Eliza took a rather large tarpaulin sheet and wrapped it over Warren to stop the blood from his bullet wound from getting all over the place. Rochelle fiddled with her camera, putting her hand through the wrist strap and playing with the fabric nervously. She never did like flying. Nick rested his hand on her leg and she took it, holding it tight. Nick smiled to himself as he looked over, seeing that Rochelle had her eyes shut.

'I hate planes,' she told him.

'Yeah, I guessed,' Nick chuckled. He squeezed her hand back. Eliza looked over at them and rolled her eyes, looking over to Jimmy.

'Ain't they sweet?' he said softly to her. Eliza made a disinterested sound and Jimmy leant close to her. 'You know she's got the firmest ass ever.'

Away from those two, Ellis and Coach were sat to the front.

'Are you alright, Coach?' Ellis asked. 'I mean, since we been to Whispering Oaks it's like you been slightly... short.'

'I'm fine,' Coach waved his hand. 'It's just... that place had a lot of memories for me. You know, of what life was like before.'

'I remember what life was like before,' Ellis reminisced. 'Did I ever tell you about that time me and Keith snuck onboard an airplane dressed as air hostesses?'

'I don't think so,' Coach leant forward, interested.

Cybil, meanwhile, was gaining altitude and turned on the radio.

'This is She-Devil,' she said. 'Come on Pensioner-Pete.'

On the other end of the line, Peter, Nick's father, began broadcasting. He was stood overlooking the city of New Orleans. Flames, smoke and destruction were almost everywhere.

'This is Pensioner-Pete,' Peter answered. 'What's your status?'

'I got the bus filled with eight; we hitched five tourists.'

'Wealthy tourists?'

'Not anymore,' she answered with a grin.

'The area here is getting quite hot,' Peter told her. 'I'm heading for the site now. We can use our satellite phones to talk in case of an emergency.'

'We'll see you soon,' Cybil disconnected the conversation. Peter gathered his belongings, including a briefcase and made his way off the building top and down toward the rendezvous location.

Cybil made sure her satellite phone was in her pocket and began to level the plane off, satisfied with the altitude they were at.

'Okay folks don't get to comfortable,' she announced. 'We'll be landing in New Orleans and then hopping over to our next destination. We should be getting there in... what the hell is that?'

Cybil looked up and saw a large glowing light heading up toward them. It passed underneath her line of sight.

Suddenly the entire aircraft shook with explosive force. The rear door blew open and the pressure of the inside was lost. On the ground, Mortuus lowered his weapon as he saw the aircraft's explosion. He took out a scoped rifle to assess the damage. The tarpaulin wrapped around Warren began to drag and was sucked out of the plane, Warren went with it. In desperation, he grabbed something to stop the drag, that something being Rochelle's arm. Rochelle was pulled out of her seat and Nick grabbed a hold of her camera, which was still wrapped around her wrist.

'Don't let go!' he cried.

The plane was quickly losing its altitude, heading down toward the forested area below.

'Nick!' Rochelle cried over the roar of the wind. 'Don't lose my camera!'

'What?' Nick spat. He had heard what she had said, he just did not understand. Rochelle felt the wrist strap loosening.

'Be good,' she told him. The strap snapped and Nick was left holding the camera as Rochelle was sucked out of the aircraft. She heard his cries after her as she fell to the ground. Warren was still holding onto her. The tarpaulin wrapped around his leg flapped violently in the wind. It suddenly picked up a pocket of air and Rochelle fell into Warren, who held on tight. They began falling slower, at a more comfortable speed. Rochelle looked over and saw the aircraft, burning ferociously as it crashed to the ground.

Cybil was doing her best to keep the plane level but it was tilted forward.

'Everyone get to the back of the plane!' she ordered. The plane was close to the ground, slightly above the thick trees below. With a crash, the plane suddenly ploughed into the trees, breaking into three. The nose and tail shattered and tore apart from the main fuselage, where the survivors were. There was an explosion; the shockwave parted the trees all around with a massive blast and flames. Smoke was rising into the sky. Rochelle closed her eyes as tears fell from her face and looked away.

Mortuus watched Rochelle and Warren as they fell to the ground. Looking over and seeing the smoke from the plane crash, he packed up his gear and jumped to the ground. He stepped inside an army jeep and began driving to where Rochelle and Warren were falling.

The ground was catching up to them really quickly now, and Rochelle held on tight as she braced herself. Warren was the first to hit the relatively open area of land, his injured leg hurting badly. He let out a cry of pain as they crashed and rolled onto the grass. As they came to a stop, Rochelle managed to tear their makeshift parachute away and go to Warren. He was wincing in pain.

'I think my leg's broken,' he spat.

'Well it's been shot, too,' Rochelle attempted to make light of the situation. 'Which is worse?'

'Just get me the hell out of here!' Warren cried. Rochelle looked over in the distance and saw the smoke coming from the plane.

'Do you think they're okay?'

'Lady,' Warren sat up. 'Even if they survived; they're fucked anyway.'

*

'Out of my way!' Morgan was yelling. The young woman was probably no more than twenty-five years old. Her dark hair was greasy and her pretty face was grubby. She was pushing past people who looked similar to her; unwashed and wearing cheap clothes. The street was filled with people who were looking around, appearing slightly confused. Positioned on the sidewalks were the odd person wielding an AK-47. Morgan ran up the stairs of an old fashioned building, the town hall. She went inside and saw a man inside. The whole hall was arranged like one large residence. At the back was a table with many seats surrounding it and sat at one of these seats was the man she had come to see.

'Nathan!' she called out.

Nathan was in his forties with thick black hair. He did not appear to be as grubby as the rest of the people in his town. He closed the book he was reading and stood up.

'You know I don't like being disturbed,' he told her as Morgan stopped just opposite him.

'I'm sorry,' she told him. Nathan grabbed her by the throat and pulled her onto the table, slamming her head down firmly to keep her from struggling. He got his face close to hers.

'You better have a good reason for disturbing me or I may just have to disturb you...'

'It's the spies, sir!' Morgan gasped. 'They crashed their plane!' Nathan released his grip and stood back, looking intrigued.

'Go on,' he instructed. Morgan sat up, rubbing her neck.

'That plane that's been flying over taking pictures of us for two weeks,' Morgan said excitedly, 'they crashed. Just nearby, too.'

'Fortune favours us today,' Nathan grinned. He stormed out of the hall and stood on the front steps, raising his hands over his people. The town went quiet, waiting to hear him speak.

'My people!' Nathan called out. 'Today is a good day. Today is the day we send a message to the government dogs who refuse to leave us alone! For too long we have been under their thumb, for too long we have waited to be independent; free from the laws of God and man. We have waited for an event like this to come along for so long and we will not let anyone take this opportunity away from us!' He looked over to one of the men holding a gun.

'Ryan! Take some good men, go to the plane crash and bring survivors here. We will show them how inadvisable it is to interfere with us...'

*

Nick opened his eyes and immediately felt the wave of pain flood into his head. Groaning as he sat up, he looked around. Eliza was already up, loading weapons while Jimmy was pulling Ellis out of his seat. He deliberately pulled too hard and Ellis ended up falling on top of him, with Jimmy clutching Ellis' rear. Coach thankfully blocked the view by stepping in front of Nick and holding out his hand.

'You okay?'

'Rochelle...' Nick muttered.

'I know,' Coach nodded grimly. Nick looked down at her camera that he still had in his hand. Standing up unassisted, he stowed the camera into his bag and wearily made his way through the crashed cabin. There was a gaping hole to the front and a smaller one to the back. The fuselage was slightly tilted upward as they had crashed into a particularly sturdy tree. Looking outside it appeared that they were in a swamp or bayou of some kind.

'Shit!' Eliza spat. 'Only you lot survived?'

'Watch your tone!' Nick growled at her. Eliza shot him a dirty look and pulled the slide back of her gun.

'With Cybil, Warren and your girl dead, we are left with five,' she explained. 'A massive plane crash like this is bound to make a lot of noise, so we can expect to be fucked in the ass by those things any time now. Not to mention we probably still have to face the people who shot us down who may not be the same people who live nearby who are really xenophobic, has Cybil said this to you before?'

'Yes, I have,' Cybil suddenly stepped into the cabin. Her face was covered in blood from a large gash over her forehead. 'So we only have one option.'

'Are you alright?' Ellis asked.

'What is that option?' Nick said at the same time as Ellis spoke.

'We need to stand our ground here,' Cybil said. 'This is the only position in which we have a hope in hell of surviving the horde which is coming any second.'

'And then what?' Jimmy asked. Cybil looked at him, deadly serious.

'With the horde dead and provided we're still alive... we run.'

Their conversation was interrupted by the wail of the infected heading for them. Cybil loaded her weapon and took position by the rear gap in the plane. She was joined by Eliza and Nick. Coach took point at the other end of the plane with Ellis and Jimmy.

'Lock and load,' Coach cried as he saw the first of the infected emerge from the trees. The gunshots replaced the sounds of the swamp as the infected poured from all over and surrounded the broken plane almost instantly.

*

Rochelle had Warren's arm over her shoulder, supporting his weight. They were headed for the plane crash site, much to Warren's displeasure.

'Don't go there!' he spat. 'We're heading into trouble.'

'They could use our help!' Rochelle insisted. 'Besides, it's just a plane crash. It's not as if there's going to be a big smoke monster there.'

'No but there'll be something much worse!' There was a gunshot and the trunk of a nearby tree shattered. Rochelle looked around and saw Mortuus behind them.

'Who the hell is that?' she wondered. Mortuus reloaded his sniper rifle.

'Go!' Warren cried. 'Go!' Rochelle began to run as another bullet hit a nearby tree.

'That's it, princess,' Mortuus whispered. 'Run to my castle...'

Rochelle pushed through the leaves and branches, running past trees and over stumps as she tried to escape from the new threat.

'Who the hell is that?'

'He's the assassin!' Warren cried. 'He's been trying to kill us and our passengers.'

'That's all we need!' Rochelle gasped. Another bullet hit a nearby tree. Rochelle was beginning to suspect he was toying with them.

Rochelle and Warren broke through into a clearing and stumbled slightly at what they saw. In front of them was a large plantation house, with overgrown fields nearby. Feeling exposed, Rochelle ran for the house before Mortuus could catch up with them. Heading up some rear stairs through the back door, Rochelle and Warren stepped inside under Mortuus' watchful eye. He followed them.

Inside the house was quite grand, albeit a little run down. There was no power and it was quite dark. Rochelle looked around desperately for somewhere to hide. She tried to get Warren up the set of stairs before them but he winced in pain. She pulled him somewhere out of the way on the ground floor. The back door burst open and Mortuus stepped inside, clutching his magnum pistol.

He looked around the darkness, watching for any signs of Rochelle.

'Where are you, girly?' he spoke with a quite high voice. It was very unsettling. 'Come out now, don't make this hard on yourself.' Mortuus stepped up the creaky stairs slowly as he went to the top. 'You are going to die, now. You do know that, right? There's no escaping it because I know someone who wants you dead and so that's the way it's going to have to be.' He reached the top and looked around the bare rooms. 'So you're going to die and if you come out now it'll be quick; a nice bullet to the head. Most people are afraid of being shot but I think it's beautiful; seeing such a small piece of metal break the skin, push through your body and then burst out, taking all of your problems, your fears and pains with it. It's almost magic.'

Mortuus entered an upstairs dining room. Place settings had been laid out and there was a carving station for a turkey at the head of the table, with a sharp knife stuck in the chopping board.

'Come out now,' Mortuus continued. 'Come out now and I'll kill you quick. If you don't then I will make sure you're alive while I do...' he licked his lips. 'Unspeakable things.'

Rochelle jumped around the corner of the doorway Mortuus went through and fired her pistols at him. Mortuus kicked up one of the chairs to block the bullets and dived over the table. Rochelle went inside the dining room, shooting at him. Mortuus threw a chair over the table at her, causing Rochelle to stumble. He vaulted over the table and punched her in the face, grabbing her by the neck and slamming her body against the window.

'Now you should have just come out,' he told her. Rochelle elbowed the glass and it shattered, knocking them both off balance. She took a shard of the glass and swung it at him, cutting his arm. Mortuus kicked her away, into the chair he had thrown. Taking the carving knife, he aimed and threw it at her. Rochelle lifted the chair in front of her face and saw the knife cut through the back of it, the point stopping just in front of her nose. She pulled the blade out and swung it at Mortuus who ran toward her. She swung the blade and he jumped back to avoid it.

Mortuus grabbed her knife hand, disarmed Rochelle and spun her around, kicking her away. As she stumbled, she took out her gun and fired at him blindly. Mortuus jumped out of the broken window to avoid being hit. Regaining her balance, Rochelle ran into the hallway and looked out of the main window to see where he was. She could not see him on the ground. Suddenly, Mortuus' hand tore through the glass, grabbed Rochelle and pulled the out, throwing her to the ground. Rochelle bounced off the stairs and rolled on the floor, spitting the dirt out of her mouth. Mortuus jumped and landed near her. Behind them were decorative trees leading up to the house. Mortuus made his way for Rochelle whose hands clenched into fists.

Rochelle threw a fistful of dirt into Mortuus' eyes as she got up. Growling in pain, Mortuus ran for her, grabbing her by the neck once more and throwing her against the largest tree nearby. Rochelle's shoulder impacted the trunk of the tree. She hit it hard and fell to the ground, letting out a cry of pain. Looking up she saw her attacker, the man with the evil eyes. He was tanned and tall with a bald head with a tattoo of a Latin phrase on the back of his skull; "mortuus." He was not infected but that did not mean he was on her side. He walked up to her as she struggled to catch her breath and kicked her mercilessly three times in the stomach. Rochelle spat out a mouthful of blood onto the leg of the man's pants and fell down, moving very little but breathing very hard. The man turned around and pulled out a large magnum pistol.

Mortuus smiled and turned around, holding the weapon with every intention of shooting. As he turned, he saw Rochelle was at her feet and kicked the weapon out of his hand. She had been feigning how injured she was to try and get the upper hand. The magnum skidded across the ground and Mortuus followed it with his eyes before looking back to Rochelle. He grinned at her.

Rochelle lunged forward with a punch but Mortuus blocked her by knocking her arm away, slapping her with great power across the face, the force spinning her around so she was no longer facing him and then kicking her in the back, sending her back to the ground. He moved over her but Rochelle swept her foot across the ground, knocking Mortuus off his feet. He fell on his behind and Rochelle jumped up and attempted to kick him in the groin but her snapped his legs shut as she did, trapping her foot. Mortuus rolled over to his side and knocked Rochelle down, taking the time to move forward and wrap his hands around her neck.

Using all of his weight, Mortuus straddled Rochelle and held her neck tight. He hesitated, not using too much pressure to snap her neck but using just enough to suffocate her. He smiled, licking his lips as he watched her gasp for air, choking desperately for a breath and feebly pushing against his hands and arms. Mortuus savoured the moment, closing his eyes as he absorbed the sensations. He thrusted his hips gently against Rochelle's groin and she could feel that he was aroused. Disgusted, she reached around to try and find something to help but found nothing. Mortuus leant down close to Rochelle to smell her terror. His eyelashes flickered as he tasted it, becoming more aroused with her fear. The gun was too far away, there were no sticks or twigs nearby to knock him away and her friends were all gone. With the last gasps of breath leaving her body, Rochelle did not want to resign herself to her inevitable fate.

'Where is it?' Mortuus whispered in her ear. 'Where is your camera?' Rochelle looked confused. Mortuus suddenly let go of her neck and Rochelle began to cough and choke as air went into her lungs again. Mortuus still had her pinned to the ground, helpless.

'I don't have it,' Rochelle coughed. 'I lost it on the plane.' Mortuus looked up at the smoke in the distance.

'This complicates things...' he muttered.

*

The horde was not showing any signs of weakening their assault on the plane. A Smoker's tongue wrapped around Jimmy but Coach cut through it with his axe before he was dragged away. However, this gave the infected a chance to invade the plane, pushing them back to where Cybil was. The six survivors were trapped together, surrounded on all sides by the infected. A Hunter pounced Eliza, who struggled with it before Nick turned up, putting his gun to its head and blasting it away. The Hunter's head shattered sending blood everywhere, covering Eliza. He helped her up and she brushed the blood off her clothes.

'You could have pushed it off me first,' she muttered.

'Hold the line!' Cybil cried, stepping back. The horde was too strong.

'We need to move!' Coach cried.

'We're pinned down here!' Ellis told him.

'We're so gonna die,' Jimmy muttered. A loud explosion silenced the conversation.

With a great band, the infected were torn away from the plane. A hail of gunfire coming from within the tree line tore through the infected and within moments the entire area was quiet. Armed gunmen emerged from the trees and surrounded the plane, aiming for the survivors. Ryan stepped out.

'Disarm yourselves at once or you will all be killed,' he ordered calmly.

'Oh yeah we're _so_ gonna die!' Jimmy repeated.

*

Rochelle was being dragged through the bayou. Warren had been left at the plantation house, apparently she was the only one Mortuus wanted; something which scared her to death. They went past the now empty plane wreck and moved to a high area over the swamp. On this hill was the perfect view of a small community that was based near the swampland. Mortuus used the scope on his rifle to survey the land. He saw Coach, Nick, Ellis, Cybil, Eliza and Jimmy being escorted through the town, surrounded by men with guns.

The men stopped the six in front of Nathan who looked each of them up and down in turn.

'The government are using strange people to spy on us,' he told his group.

'We're not spying on you,' Cybil insisted.

'Oh really?' Nathan stepped close to her. 'Because from what I see, you are. You're always flying overhead, taking photographs of our community. Why? Do you feel threatened?'

'We're not taking pictures!' Cybil insisted. 'We're only flying so we don't disturb you!'

'Believable,' Nathan nodded slowly. 'Then why do you keep coming back and forth?' He looked over at Jimmy Gibbs and smiled.

'My God!' he gasped. 'You're one of them too?'

'Well I'm with them,' Jimmy said. 'But we're not spies; I'm a race car driver.'

'I know,' Nathan nodded. 'I'm a big fan of yours, we all are. I can't believe you're doing the government's dirty work!' Nathan sighed dejectedly.

Nathan took his handgun out and shot Jimmy in the face at point blank range. The remaining five survivors flinched as his corpse fell to the ground and was promptly dragged away to the swamp where it was thrown in to be ravaged by crocodiles.

'You government spies are going to tell us what the hell you're doing here,' Nathan told them, a tiny grin in his eye. 'If you cooperate we can do this as painlessly as possible.'

'Nick's alive!' Rochelle gasped as she looked through the scope that Mortuus handed her. 'We need to help them.'

'All I need is the camera,' Mortuus told her. Rochelle leant close to him.

'You help me get my friends to safety and I will go with you without fuss and with my camera,' she said. Mortuus considered the option and then nodded.

'Deal,' the two shook hands.


	8. Chapter 8

8. Deal with the Devil Part Two

Coach was thrown to the ground inside the town hall. He looked up at his captor, town leader Nathan who in turn was looking down on him as if he were nothing more than a filthy animal. Armed guards were placed around the two, to make sure Coach did not attempt to do anything reckless, not that he could. All of the survivors' weapons had been taken away from them, leaving them at the mercy of this madman. Coach still had the image of Jimmy being shot in the head in the back of his mind. He couldn't get over how easily Nathan had done it; looking into Jimmy's eyes and pulling the trigger as easily as if he was shooting at a target at the shooting range.

'Why have you come here?' Nathan asked, pacing around Coach as he sat up on the floor. He did not look at him as he spoke.

'You brought us here,' Coach told him. 'Why did you shoot Jimmy?' Nathan turned to face him and delivered a swift kick to Coach's face, knocking him over.

'Ask me another question and I will feed you to the gators, alive,' Nathan spat. Coach wiped blood off his lip and sat back up. 'So I will ask you again; why have you come here?'

'I was a passenger on that plane you shot down,' Coach said.

'We didn't shoot you down,' Nathan's eyes narrowed. He soon found himself talking to Cybil. Coach had been taken out and he was asking her about the crash.

'Someone shot us down!' Cybil insisted. 'Whoever it was killed two of our people and now you've killed a third.'

'I will remove any threat against my people,' Nathan told her.

'Oh what, are you the spiritual leader of this town?' Nick asked, after he replaced Cybil as interrogation suspect.

'Oh I'd hardly call us spiritual,' Nathan shook his head at him. 'Have you seen the world? Men and women are transforming before our very eyes into horrific monsters. Some would call it an act of God to punish us for our misdeeds or some crap like that. I think it's abundantly clear looking out this window that there is absolutely no God, only man.'

'We should stick together then!' Ellis insisted when it was his turn to be questioned. 'I mean; surely the more people you got to defend your town, the better, right?'

'You all are government spies, sent to investigate our community and take us down!' Nathan cried. 'We just want to be left alone, not meddled with, not toyed with and not manipulated! We're all immune from this affliction that has destroyed this country and we do not want to be tested and exploited by you!'

'We are not your enemy!' Eliza yelled at him. 'We're just passing through! Let us go and you'll never hear from us again.'

'I would like to believe you,' Nathan spoke sincerely, sighing. 'I really would but I cannot trust you. The government, CEDA... everything is against us in this new world. We can survive; we can sustain ourselves and we can't just let people like you walk in and threaten it. You spies have been nosey for long enough. I'm afraid we need to make examples out of all of you.'

*

Rochelle had looked away in horror when she saw Nathan shoot Jimmy Gibbs Jr. straight in the face. Every fibre of her being wanted to go in and help the rest of her friends but she was unable to do that while she was chained to Mortuus. She was the person he wanted but he also needed her camera, which Nick was now in possession of. They had investigated the airplane crash site and had not found it there so Nick was the logical place to look next. Rochelle felt humbled deep down; a slight happy feeling fluttered as she thought that Nick cared enough to take care of it for her. However she had no idea why Mortuus was after it. Rochelle's mind then went back to when she began her investigation into the infection in Savannah. Someone had attacked Dale and Zoey when they went to Fairfield because they did not want them to find something out; maybe the two scenarios were connected? However, Rochelle had not found anything particularly incriminating during her travels and she was certain that the only thing she had documented proof of was the results of what exposure to the infection does to someone. Maybe there was something she had found that was important but she had not realised it. Rochelle frowned; she needed to get a hold of her camera.

However there were two immediate problems with Mortuus being the chief concern. The remote community nearby was also a threat as they not only had the camera but also her friends. They needed to act quickly to save their lives but they could hardly take over an entire community by themselves. Rochelle was under Mortuus' thumb; he had her. The only reason she was not already dead was because of the deal she made with him; she would go with him and help him get the camera back if he saved her friends, who he had no particular interest in.

It was nightfall and the village had gone quiet. Small flame torches were ignited around the perimeter to keep away any intruders. These torches were accompanied by armed guards who appeared to have a shoot first, question later policy in effect. There was no definitive border around the small town; just numerous buildings next to the waterline. The formation of the bayou acted as a natural barrier against intruders, forming an effective moat around the community.

'How are we going to get in?' Rochelle asked. Mortuus looked at her and shook his head.

'You're not coming with me,' he told her.

'The hell I'm not!' Rochelle protested. 'I need to make sure my friends get out okay. Besides, do you really expect to take on a small army like the one down there all by yourself?'

'Yes,' Mortuus looked back through his binoculars. The night vision lens picked up the position of the armed guards who were patrolling the village. There appeared to be no visible weakness in their defences. 'They all got AKs just like you,' he reported. 'They're dumb hicks though so I doubt they'll know how to shoot them properly.' Mortuus stood up and loaded his weapon. 'I can take them.'

'If there's anything I've learnt over the past few days,' Rochelle grabbed his trousers. 'You need to stick with the people you're with.'

'I'm doing alright so far,' he pointed out. Rochelle stood up and looked him in his cold eyes.

'I'm going with you,' she insisted.

'You do you care, anyway?' he asked. 'If I leave you here; I might die and you'd get a chance to escape.'

'Then my friends will have no chance of getting out of there,' she told him. Mortuus saw the genuine emotion in Rochelle's eyes, not that he appreciated it.

'Fine,' he muttered. 'We're not best friends though. I am still going to kill you.'

'That's fine,' Rochelle nodded.

'And don't you try shooting me in the back,' he handed Rochelle her equipment. 'You'll be sorry.' With their alliance set firmly in place, the two looked over at the town and contemplated what to do.

Unaware of the two people watching the town, Morgan left her house and walked through the empty pathways toward the small town hall. Stepping around Jimmy Gibbs' blood stain, she jogged up the stairs and stepped through the door. She went past the meeting area and through one of the rear doors. Morgan went through a small corridor and then came up to a final door, which she raised her hand to knock on the wood. However she stopped when she heard something coming from the other side. Putting her ear to the door, she heard the sound of heavy breathing, panting and moaning. Morgan sighed dejectedly and rested her head on the wood, waiting for the noises to stop. On the other side, Nathan was lying down on his bed with a naked woman bouncing up and down on top of him. Her head was tilted back, her eyes were closed and her mouth was open, letting out gasps of pleasure. Nathan had his hands firmly on her thighs, a heavily concentrated look on his face. His eyelid twitched every so often but his mind appeared to be elsewhere. He eventually let out a sigh and stopped thrusting his pelvis upward. As his partner looked down at him, questioning why he had stopped, he pushed her off him and off the bed. Falling onto the hard floor, the woman let out an angry cry and then stood up.

'Just get the hell out of here,' Nathan told her, pulling the bed sheets over himself. Frustrated, the woman put her clothes on and stormed out, swinging the door open and pushing past Morgan who looked in through the open door and knocked on the wood quietly. 'What is it?'

'It's only me,' Morgan stepped inside, closing the door gently behind. 'I was just going to ask what you're planning on doing with the spies.'

'I haven't decided yet...' he sighed. 'That young one, the blonde girl... we don't see many girls like her around here, do we?'

'I guess not,' Morgan shrugged.

'I was planning on making an example out of all of them,' Nathan sat up. 'However I think we should keep one alive, just in case the government want to retaliate for what we've done.'

'We could always let them go?' Morgan suggested, knowing that he would not take it seriously.

'We let them go and we'll be digging our own graves,' Nathan told her. 'No it has to be this way.' Morgan sighed and nodded. 'Bring the young girl to me,' Nathan ordered. 'I want to talk to her.' Given his state of undress Morgan thought that he was not really in the mood to talk. Nonetheless she left the room and the town hall, heading for the house where the five were being imprisoned.

Inside the house, Coach, Nick, Ellis, Cybil and Eliza were tied by ropes to chairs inside the empty front room. The entire house was bare; the only furniture was the chairs and a small ladder that went to the upper area, which was also empty.

'How are we going to get out of here?' Nick asked.

'I don't know if you've noticed, dipshit,' Cybil spoke irritably, 'but we're pretty much fucked.'

'We can still try and get out,' Coach said optimistically.

'Oh yeah?' Eliza spoke up. 'Then what? What happens when we try and break out and they find us? You saw what they did to that racing driver!'

'His name was Jimmy,' Coach told her.

'Whatever!' Eliza spat. 'I don't care who he was, I don't care who you are. I just care about not ending up like that guy!'

'So you're saying we just wait to be executed?' Nick asked rhetorically. 'Because that's what's going to happen!'

'I agree with the suit,' Cybil said, rather unexpectedly. 'They're talking about making an example out of us. Who knows what that could mean?'

'He threatened to feed me to the alligators while I'm still alive,' Coach added.

'If we stay put we're dead,' Cybil summarised.

'You've seen how many men they have!' Eliza said. 'If we break out we're dead.'

'I'd rather get shot than get eaten,' Ellis muttered.

'I'm not talking about waiting to die or breaking out of here,' Eliza told them.

'What are you talking about then?' Nick asked, growing irritated with her.

'I'm talking about we end it now, on our own terms.'

'Suicide?' Cybil spat, completely disbelieving. 'You're out of your mind.'

'We have rope here,' Eliza pointed out. 'We can try and break free and use the rafters up there as...'

'You're insane!' Coach interrupted her. 'I haven't come this far just to give up!'

'We can't let the sacrifices our friends made be in vain!' Nick spat. He was thinking about Rochelle.

'What else can we do?' Eliza asked. 'If anyone has any better ideas that won't involve us being brutally murdered then please, let me know and I'll be onboard!'

The door opened up and Morgan stepped inside with Nathan's favourite goon, Ryan, stood at her side. She moved toward Eliza and began to untie her.

'What are you doing?' Eliza asked.

'Shut up!' Morgan yelled, not sounding very threatening. Ryan stepped in, gripping his weapon to make up for her lack of intimidation. Eliza's ropes fell from her chair and Morgan stood her up, nudging her out of the front door. As they left she glanced back at the other four before closing the door behind her. Cybil and Coach exchanged looks.

'Where is she going?' Ellis asked.

Eliza was marched up the stairs to the hall and pushed through the doors. Going through the meeting area she looked around in an attempt of finding something useful. As she was being marched somewhere, she suspected that it may be her time was nearly up so she thought that going down fighting might not be such a bad idea after all. However she could not think of a plan before she was pushed into Nathan's room, the door closing behind them. Nathan was sat in a chair, writing in a journal when she entered. He was donned in a large robe.

'Make yourself at home,' Nathan told her, closing the journal and gesturing to a chair nearby. Eliza eyed him suspiciously as she went to take the seat next to his. It was not long ago that he was being aggressive and insisting that he made an example out of her and the others. Now he was being polite. She slowly sat on the chair and became very conscious of Nathan's stares. 'You're quite lucky,' he told her, pouring himself a glass of alcohol. Eliza could not tell what it was but it smelt foul. 'Want some?'

'I'm good,' she declined politely. With his perverse stares she was unsure of whether it would be safe to drink anything.

'I realise that if I were to just get rid of all of you,' Nathan said after taking a large mouthful of his drink, 'that your superiors would probably not take it lightly.'

'Probably not,' Eliza decided to indulge his delusions. 'Killing five government agents isn't something you can just sweep under the rug, especially in this climate where we have so few people to spare.'

'Indeed,' Nathan took another mouthful. 'So this is why I was thinking of keeping you alive.'

'I think that would be a wise decision,' Eliza nodded. 'You can let us all go and we will just simply pretend like none of this ever happened.'

'Oh you misunderstand,' Nathan put his drink down. 'I'm just going to keep _you_ alive.' A dreadful feeling sunk into Eliza's heart. She opened her mouth to speak but could not find any words. 'You see,' Nathan continued, 'I don't have the resources to keep you all alive. Even if I did I wouldn't be sending your people a pretty good message if I were to merely imprison you. That's what was wrong with the prison system before; someone does something bad and they get punished by sitting in a nice jail cell with free healthcare and all of your needs taken care of by other people at someone else's expense. The death penalty is the best deterrent and I believe that is what it will take to keep you lot away from me.'

'Now wait just a second,' Eliza cut in but Nathan rose to his feet and began pacing.

'I _will_ make an example out of the rest of them,' Nathan said with a tone of satisfaction. 'I see it is only fair. I will keep you in case more agents of yours come to try and take me down. I'm sure holding you hostage would dissuade anyone from attacking my town. Plus out of all of you lot, you're the one who could be... useful.' Eliza felt sick.

'What do you mean?' she asked, her voice cracking. Nathan stepped close to her and Eliza stood up, moving away from him.

'Well we don't get many girls like you in these parts.'

Eliza turned to head for the door but Nathan grabbed her and threw her onto the bed. Slipping out of his robe he jumped onto the bed and used his naked body to restrain her. Eliza struggled but he was too strong for her. She attempted to move her legs but he spread them apart, ogling her body morbidly. He wrapped his fingers around her neck, causing her to grab his hand to try and pry it off her. With his free hand he ran his fingers down her smooth body, to the top of her jeans. He undid the button and began to unzip them. Nathan smiled as he watched her struggle. Eliza was definitely far better than any of the girls in town.

*

A Boomer was wading its way through the swamp. It looked over and saw someone in the moonlight. Rochelle looked over and saw that the Boomer was waddling toward her and she held out her arm. As it got five feet away from her, Rochelle closed her eyes as a gunshot from above exploded the monster, covering her in bile, tattered clothes and pieces of skin. Wiping the substance from her face she took one of the many empty jars and began scooping up the bile on and around her and storing it securely. As she did this, the sound of the infected could be heard converging on her in the distance. Rochelle collected two jars and looked up, seeing them in the far distance drawing closer. She took a few more jars and stored them away. The infected were so close to her now. She stored her seventh jar away before she was suddenly pulled up into the trees, just in time before the infected swarmed around her. Mortuus pulled Rochelle to safety, using the rope he had attached to her previously. As the infected surrounded the tree it was easy pickings as he used his silenced Uzi to cut them down. The powerful bullets cut through the infected with great ease, severing limbs with violent sprays of blood and crushing their heads with sickening crack and thuds. As all of the infected fell dead, Mortuus jumped down onto the ground and caught Rochelle as she slipped from the branch. In the distance he heard the loud cry of a Hunter. He raised the Uzi and fired one shot as the Hunter let out a yell and the corpse of the monster landed next to them, a bleeding gunshot in between its eyes.

'I got seven,' Rochelle reported.

'That will do,' Mortuus took the Boomer bile from her and began transferring them into canisters. These canisters were similar to pipe bombs, except they had a glass tube instead of a metallic one. One by one Mortuus assembled the Bile bombs as Rochelle kept watch.

'Are you sure this will work?' Rochelle asked.

'It couldn't hurt,' was her response. 'They will only attack where there is this slime so we should be safe to sneak in while the soldiers try to suppress the attack.'

'They're not soldiers, though,' Rochelle told him. 'They're just regular people.'

'Regular people, who want to kill your friends,' Mortuus looked up at her. 'They have already killed someone. If you're having a change of heart...'

'No!' Rochelle insisted. 'No, I'm not. It's just... they're not trained or anything, not like you.'

'That's what makes them dangerous,' Mortuus told her. 'They are like scared children... they _are _children; born into this new world of violence and pain and are given no time to grow up, learning about this world. Instead they are handed weapons, taught a narrow-minded philosophy and believe in it wholeheartedly.' Mortuus finished the last bomb, secured it with a click and stored it away. Still looking down on the ground, he sighed. 'In a world without government, God or guidelines there is only man.' He looked up at Rochelle, standing. 'Man is a scared child with a machine gun.' With that, Mortuus took the bombs and walked off in the direction of the town. Rochelle followed him, feeling sick to her stomach.

*

The door to the survivor's makeshift prison opened and Eliza was thrown inside by Ryan who forced her into her chair and tied her up once more. She was not resisting, she merely had her head hung. He then left, slamming the door behind and securing it. The others looked to her questioningly. Eliza was shaking, tears fell down her face and her clothes were messed up. The top buttons of her pants were not tied up. Ellis looked concerned.

'You okay?' he asked. Eliza let out a quiet cry and began sobbing.

*

Morgan was sat on the stairs of the town hall, looking out at the swamp. She glanced over to where Jimmy had been shot and winced as she heard the bang in the back of her head. She looked over and saw Ryan securing the door to the survivor's prison and sighed. She felt ashamed of herself. Nathan descended the stairs of the town hall and stepped onto the ground, standing with a slight bounce with his hands on his hips. He took in a deep breath of fresh air and let out a satisfied sigh. He turned to Morgan who was glaring at him angrily.

'Don't look at me like that,' he told her.

'Don't tell me what to do,' was her response, looking away. Nathan raised his eyebrows at her comment and stepped toward her slowly. He put his hand on her shoulder, stroking it gently. He moved his palm to the back of her head where he grabbed her hair forcefully and pushed her head forward, swinging his knee up and striking her in the face. Morgan fell back and slid down the stairs, her nose suddenly bleeding. Nathan knelt down next to her.

'Don't you tell me what to do,' he hissed. Nathan spat on Morgan's face and then stood up, marching away. Morgan wiped the mess from her face and watched angrily as Nathan walked to where Ryan was guarding. He stepped inside the house.

Inside he put his hands together as he saw the survivors. Eliza was still sobbing and he stepped past her.

'What did you do?' Nick spat. Nathan looked at him and kicked him in the chest, knocking his chair over and Nick onto his back.

'I wanted to say this to you all personally,' Nathan looked at Coach, Ellis and Cybil. 'Just in case your bosses are listening in; if you send any more people here then things will get incredibly ugly for this girl.' He gestured to Eliza. 'So make sure you're watching tomorrow morning so you can see what we're capable of.'

'I think we already know what you're capable of,' Nick spat. Nathan let out a soft chuckle and looked over at him. He clicked his fingers and held out his hand. Ryan stepped inside and handed Nathan his rifle. Nathan stood over Nick, glaring monstrously into his eyes.

He lifted the rifle up.

Ellis was forced to look away as Nathan beat Nick mercilessly with the butt of the rifle. He stuck the man repeatedly in the face, cutting and bruising the skin and sending trails of blood flying around the room. With each blow, Nathan's eyes became more wild and intense. He beat Nick all over his body insanely, enjoying every single moment.

'Stop it!' Ellis pleaded. Nathan pivoted and swung the rifle, striking Ellis over the face before continuing Nick's assault. After a while he stopped and took a breath, watching Nick lie motionless on the floor.

With a sudden jolt, Nick spat out a mouthful of blood, along with two teeth. He coughed and spluttered while Nathan savoured the sight. He threw the rifle back to Ryan, blood dripping from the stock. He looked to Coach, Ellis and Cybil once more and stood in front of Nick and Eliza he cracked a disgusting smile.

'This is just the beginning,' he told them, letting out an evil laugh as he left, stepping on Nick's teeth as he left.

There was a moment of silence as the door was secured and everyone looked at Nick.

'Are you okay?' Coach asked.

'Never been better,' Nick spat out more blood. He looked around, his entire face was covered in blood. He had deep wounds on his forehead and cheeks. His clothes were torn and frayed.

'Looks like he beat you good-looking,' Coach joked. Nick let out a laugh that was interrupted by coughing. He swallowed hard and looked around, breathing heavily.

'Looks like he did something else, though,' Nick said, wincing in pain as he tried to move. He let out a cry of pain as he moved his arm upward. There was a crack with the splintering of the back of the wooden chair and Nick was able to lift his arms above his head. 'He broke my chair.' Nick was able to untie the rope on his legs and then stand up. As he stood, he stumbled sideward and held waist, breathing heavily as he leant against the ladder. 'I don't think anything's broken.'

'Get us out of here!' Cybil said, whispering.

'I don't think so!' Coach interjected.

'What?' Cybil looked at him, her eyes wide.

'Nick won't be able to get out of here like that!'

'We have first aid kits in our bags,' Ellis told them. 'They put our stuff in the building next to this one.'

'Good idea,' Coach nodded.

'I'll go, sneak in and get our stuff and bring it back.'

'It's too risky!' Cybil shook her head.

'It's too risky to try and escape her without our stuff,' Coach told her. 'What if we do escape? What happens when them bitches surround us like they did on the plane?'

As the discussion went on, Nick untied Eliza.

'You okay?' he asked her. Eliza looked up at him. Nick's right eye was horrifically blood shot and he looked terrible. More tears fell from her face but she blinked and nodded. Nick then moved over to Ellis and untied his ropes.

'I'm going,' Ellis told them. As soon as he was free he moved two steps but stopped, turned back and embraced Nick tight. 'We're gonna get you out of here, man,' he told him. Nick smiled at Ellis and nodded. As he went to untie the others, Ellis went up the ladder.

Outside, one of the roof boards of the house was pushed aside and Ellis climbed through the gap. He climbed onto the rooftop and looked around to see if there was anyone watching him. Satisfied he was alone; Ellis moved over the rooftop and stopped at the edge, glancing over at the other house. There was a small gap between the buildings and Ellis was able to jump over them with relative ease. He thought back to Savannah where he and the others had to jump over rooftops to escape the infected and he had fallen and was rescued by them. Although it had only been a few days it felt like months since everything had happened. They had been through a lot, aside from the countless horde attacks they had survived a building nearly falling on them, an insane man who tried to kill them for stealing as well as using a car to drive through a shopping mall and then across the country to an amusement park that collapsed all around them, a massive car crash while under fire and then a plane crash, after being shot down. Ellis was determined to not let a gunshot to the head be the end of everything after they had been through so much. He could not let Nick die like Jimmy had died or like how Keith died.

Ellis made his way over the other rooftop and pulled out a board and was able to slide down inside. The inside of the house was as small as the one they were confined to and was empty except for the bags of ammunition and equipment that lay on the ground. Ellis grinned as he saw them and went down to get them.

Meanwhile, Rochelle and Mortuus had returned to their position overlooking the town. Using night vision binoculars, they surveyed the area closely.

'How did you get all this hi-tech gear?' Rochelle asked him. Mortuus gave her a sly glance before looking back through his scope. 'You're going to kill me after this is all over, remember? Why don't you just tell me?'

'You're going to try and escape when I've lived up to my end of the deal,' Mortuus hypothesised. 'I know you won't succeed however if you do manage to break free from me then I can't have you knowing who I work for.'

'You seem confident,' Rochelle commented sarcastically.

'On the contrary,' Mortuus zoomed in on something of interest in the town; a figure on a rooftop. 'Confidence brings failure. You are still alive because I was overconfident.' Rochelle rolled her eyes but noticed that Mortuus was looking at something with particular interest. She glanced through her binoculars over where he was looking and raised her eyebrows as she saw Ellis jumping between rooftops, ferrying over bags.

'Shit,' she muttered. 'They're planning on escaping.'

'If they get themselves killed it's not my problem,' Mortuus told her.

'Well I'm making it your problem,' Rochelle told him. 'If any one of my friends end up dead I will destroy the camera.' Mortuus looked over to her.

'If you threaten me again...' he started speaking but Rochelle interrupted him.

'We could argue about it but I will win,' Rochelle told him. Mortuus glared at her and then looked back to the town.

'We'd better move now then,' Mortuus got up. 'Last thing we need is your friends messing things up.'

*

Ellis was making his final trip over the rooftops. He had gathered everyone's weapons aside from his own. Nick was sat down on one of the chairs while Coach tended his wounds. Nick had no broken bones but he was still in bad shape. The blood was wiped from his face and his cuts had been disinfected. His eye was still severely bruised and bloodshot. Cybil was arming herself while Eliza sat on her own in the corner, emptying and reloading the magazine in her handgun.

'You took a beating,' Coach told him. 'Why the hell did you do that?' Nick did not respond. Coach sighed and bent down, looking at him in the eye. Nick glanced away, looking to Eliza. Coach followed his line of sight to her and turned back, a knowing look on his face. 'She's not Rochelle.'

'She didn't deserve...' Nick muttered before swallowing his words and standing up. 'We need to form a plan.'

'When your hick gets back we will,' Cybil told them, cocking her weapon.

Just outside, Mortuus was sneaking through the darkness. He put his back against the wall of one of the outer buildings and looked around the corner at the main entrance to the town. He licked his lips and took a breath as he reached for his weapon. Elsewhere, Rochelle had taken position with the town hall in sight. She took out her own weapon and put her finger to her ear.

'In position,' she whispered.

'Three,' Mortuus whispered, 'two... one.'

Rochelle and Mortuus simultaneously threw a Bile bomb at their targets, Mortuus' was the entrance and Rochelle's was the town hall. The bombs flew through the air and crashed on the ground and the wall. Boomer bile erupted from the canisters and covered the guards at the front and to the back. There were sudden yells and cries of confusion but they were promptly drowned out by the howl of the infected in the distance.

'Attack!' someone screamed and the entire town burst into life. The infected emerged from the trees and stormed the town. The guards to the rear managed to keep them at bay but the people at the front were almost instantly overwhelmed. Ryan left his post outside the house where the others were confined to and ordered more people to the front to help support the outnumbered guards at the front. People were running back and forth through the town, giving Mortuus and Rochelle the advantage to sneak in. Using the pandemonium as a cover, they ran into the town and made their way for the house where Coach and the others were held.

'What the hell is that?' Cybil looked around as the gunfire started.

'Shit,' Coach spat.

'If we're going to go we need to go now!' Cybil cried.

'Ellis!' Nick yelled. 'Where are you?'

Ellis climbed up with his weapons ready on the other building and looked around, confused. He glanced over to the main town area and saw frantic shooting, running and the infected swarming. He staggered slightly and looked over to the other building. He looked back at the fight and sighed. Ellis moved to jump the gap but stopped, skidding along the rooftop. He stood still and gasped.

Keith was stood in front of him. Blood was trailing from his eyes and down his face. A sharp knife was sticking out the side of his head. His skin was pale and his eyes were blank.

'Hey buddy,' he smiled. Ellis stepped back in disbelief.

A Tank broke through the entrance of the town. Ryan threw a Molotov cocktail at it and the beast lit up spectacularly. The monster pushed through infected and townsfolk alike and punched Ryan, sending him flying across into a house, it collapsing around him. Nathan stepped out of the town hall, shooting at the infected. His gunfire attracted the attention of the Tank that made its way toward him. Nathan saw that the Tank was headed his way and began shooting at it. The monster closed the gap separating it and him promptly and stepped back, closing the doors. The Tank burst through into the town hall, spreading fire around the building.

Mortuus got his way through the infected and ran into Morgan who was shooting at the infected. He looked at her and shook her head pitifully. He threw his magnum pistol at her and she looked over at him, confused.

'Use that,' he told her, walking past her, shooting infected with ease.

Inside the prison, Coach looked up at where Ellis had climbed out onto the roof.

'Where the hell is he?' he wondered. There came a loud cry of a Charger in the distance.

'What was that?' Eliza asked. The Charger punched its way through the door, knocking Cybil out of the way and crashing through the outer wall, taking Coach along for the ride. Just outside, the Charger began slamming Coach onto the ground. Nick went to help him while Cybil looked around and ran the opposite way into the fight. Eliza watched her and called out after her, chasing Cybil. Nick fired his M-16 and pumped the Charger full of bullets and Coach fell from the beast's grasp before he was slammed against the ground for the third time. Nick helped Coach to his feet and they looked and saw Cybil and Eliza were missing. In front of the house, Eliza looked around and could not see where Cybil had run to. She looked over at the flaming town hall and gripped her handgun tight. Feeling an overwhelming sense of rage she ran toward the building and jumped through the flaming doorway.

From Ellis' rooftop he had a clear view of Eliza heading into the building; however he was too busy looking at Keith. Ellis was confused and frightened.

'You can't be here,' Ellis shook his head. 'It's not possible. You ain't real.'

'That never stopped me before,' Keith chuckled. He licked his dry, bloody lips and raised his eyebrows cheekily. 'I'm here to do for you what you couldn't do for me.'

'What do you mean?' Keith stepped forward to answer Ellis' question. He extended his hand and rested it on Ellis'. He pulled Ellis' handgun upward.

'I'm here to help you die.'

Nick and Coach glanced around.

'I'll look for Ellis,' Coach told him. Nick nodded and the two separated. He ran forward and looked around for Eliza and Cybil. Coach kicked open the door to where their belongings were kept and looked inside for Ellis. Next door was the collapsed building where Ryan had been knocked into. He was now climbing out, looking dazed. He heard Coach inside the building calling Ellis' name. Nick saw the burning town hall and had a thought. He ran over to it.

Mortuus made it to where the survivors were being held and looked inside. He stepped back and looked around for any sign of the survivors. Rochelle stepped around a small house and kept moving ahead, shooting the infected that got close. She suddenly found herself under fire. Taking cover behind the house, she knelt down and looked around and saw Morgan firing at her.

'You've done this!' she screamed at Rochelle. 'You've killed our town!'

'You brought this on yourself,' Rochelle called back. She flipped around the corner and took a few shots at Morgan, who dived out of the way and used the corpse of a Tank as cover. Morgan had Rochelle pinned down.

Keith angled Ellis hand so that he was aiming his own gun under his chin. The weapon pushed into Ellis' skin slightly and Keith smiled, resting his finger on Ellis' trigger finger.

'Now all you gotta do is squeeze,' Keith told him.

'I don't wanna die though,' Ellis shook his head slightly.

'Don't you?' Keith asked rhetorically. 'Look around you; everywhere has gone to shit. You should end things now, right here, on your own terms.'

'You were sick, Keith,' Ellis' voice cracked. 'I had no choice.'

'You didn't make a choice at all!' Keith cried. 'You let me die and turn into one of _them_!' He gestured to the infected. 'You were happy to watch me just lie there and die in pain.'

'I couldn't help you!'

'But I can!' Keith yelled. 'I can help you.'

The commotion of the fight simply faded away for Ellis. All that he was aware of was Keith and the gun.

'I can help you,' Keith repeated. 'Before you get sick or injured you can go quickly, easily and painlessly.'

'My friends might need me,' Ellis told him. Keith sighed, shaking his head.

'Ellis I needed you and you couldn't help me,' he said. 'What have you done to help your friends? Think about it. What difference have _you_ made to their lives?' Ellis took a moment to think. 'All that you've done is cause problems. You made them risk their lives for you when you got lost in the mall. You've not done anything to help them. If you want to help them; shoot yourself so they won't ever have to worry about you again.' Ellis' hand started to tremble somewhat.

Inside the burning town hall, Eliza looked around for Nathan. She was determined to see him die, even if it was the last thing she ever did. The ceiling rafters began to fall to the ground, bringing fire with them. Stepping around the body of a Tank, Eliza glanced around the entire room looking for him. The smoke was making it hard to see. Everywhere was dark and unbearably hot. Behind Eliza, Nathan emerged from the smoke, stepping silently over to her. He was no longer content to play games so just behind her he raised his gun to the back of her head. Eliza had no idea he was there until...

Nick jumped onto Nathan, causing him to shoot blindly in another direction. Hearing the shot, Eliza ducked and saw the two men rolling on the floor. She moved to help but a large section of the roof collapsed in front of her, separating them from each other. There was no way around. Eliza stepped back as she saw the rest of the roof on her side of the building start to cave in. Turning, she ran for the door as the hall began to collapse. Nathan punched Nick off him and stood up, looking around for his weapon. Nick was also able to stand, wiping soot off his face.

'You're looking better,' Nathan remarked sarcastically. Nick let out a snort.

'You're looking like you're in trouble,' he replied.

'A temporary setback,' Nathan admitted. 'However we will rise from the ashes like a phoenix and soar even higher than before.'

'Oh give it a rest you pretentious psycho,' Nick spat, lunging forward to attack him.

Eliza jumped through the flaming doorway of the hall, rolling down the stairs. She looked to her left and got up from the ground and ran around the building to find another way inside. Running through the town she saw someone familiar; Rochelle, who was taking cover behind a house. Eliza made her way over to her and stood beside her.

'I thought you were dead,' Eliza told her.

'Glad to see you're all alright,' Rochelle nodded, leaning around to take another few shots. 'Where's Nick?'

'In there!' Eliza told her. Rochelle looked at the burning building and began feeling an intense sense of dread. 'Who's shooting at us?'

'Some bitch!' Rochelle took a Bile bomb in her hand. 'We need some cover!' She threw the bomb around the corner and it landed perfectly in the space between her and Morgan. Within moments, infected swarmed around the pool of Boomer bile and began fighting each other. Morgan could not get a good shot at Rochelle through the horde, giving the two a chance to move. Rochelle and Eliza ran by Eliza, who fired at them but only hit infected. She curse and then stepped back, changing her target to the horde in front of her.

'All you have ever been is a hindrance,' Keith told Ellis, his hand trembling more. 'Just do the right thing.'

'I can help them,' Ellis insisted, not truly believing his own words. Keith stepped forward, close to Ellis and whispered to him.

'If you couldn't save me then how can you save them?'

Keith stepped back and folded his arms. Ellis, breathing heavily, looked down at his gun. He knew, deep down that what he was about to do was right. Taking a breath and holding it, Ellis closed his eyes and started to squeeze the trigger. The trigger moved down slightly, then a little more and a tiny bit more when Ellis was wondering when everything would suddenly go away.

'Ellis!' Coach screamed from the ground. Ellis opened his eyes and turned to face him. 'What the hell are you doing?'

'Coach?' Ellis asked, looking around to find himself alone once again on the rooftop. 'Is that really you?'

'Get down here now,' Coach told him. 'We need you!' Ellis hesitated somewhat. He looked down at Coach, thinking.

Coach was suddenly knocked off his feet by Ryan, who pounced him and promptly began beating him. Ellis stepped back, startled. Coach lay on the ground, unable to move. Ryan's assault were accompanied by mad cries of anger, blaming him for the destruction of the town. Coach punched the man in the side of the head and knocked him away. Coach was then able to stand but soon found himself opposite a large blade that Ryan was holding up. Without having time to think, Coach equipped his axe as Ryan swung the blade, using it to deflect the blow. Ryan was a lot quicker with the blade as Coach was with the axe and soon took the advantage by knocking the axe away and holding the blade to his throat. Ryan's eyes narrowed as he prepared himself to savour the final blow.

Ellis jumped down from the roof onto Ryan, knocking his blade away. The two wrestled on the ground, Ellis kicking Ryan's groin with his knee while he was on top of him and pushing him away. As the two scrambled to their feet, Ellis pulled out his handgun as Ryan did the same with his rifle, the two turning on the heels to aim at each other. Ellis was quicker and shot Ryan four times in the chest, sending him collapsing to the ground before Ryan was even able to raise his weapon. Coach moved over to Ellis and patted him on the shoulder gratefully. Ellis smiled at him.

Nathan crashed through the fine table, kicking Nick away as he stepped close to him as he lay on the ground. Getting to his feet, Nathan moved forward and sent several punches over to Nick, who was unable to block all of them and received a couple of blows to the face. Dazed, Nick staggered slightly and his weakness was used to Nathan's advantage, who kicked the back of Nick's knee, sending him to the ground. Kneeling there, Nick found himself trapped with Nathan's arm around his neck. Nick pushed his weight forward, sending Nathan over his shoulder and crashing onto the ground. More debris fell from the ceiling and walls as Nick stood up and kicked Nathan as he lay on there. He went to kick again but Nathan grabbed his foot and pulled him on top of him. Nathan then proceeded to deliver a torrent of punches to Nick's face, knocking him back down. Nick lay there on the ground and Nathan moved his foot to his neck, pushing down on it and paralysing him.

'This is poor,' Nathan shook his head. 'Even that girl I brought in here put up more of a fight than you.'

Eliza suddenly appeared behind Nathan, grabbed him and threw him across the room. Glancing down at Nick who started to get to his feet, Eliza then glared at Nathan was murderous hate in her eye. She ran forward and jumped into the air, extending her leg out and kicking him back more. She kicked Nathan into another room, a modest library. There was a tiny skylight that had been broken when Eliza had entered the building.

Nathan sent a punch Eliza's way but she ducked, spinning and kicking his feet. He stumbled and grabbed a book from one of the shelves, striking her across the face with it. Eliza crashed into one of the bookshelves but kicked her foot backward, into Nathan's face. She jumped up, holding onto one of the higher shelves and used her momentum to kick Nathan once more. Staggering back underneath the skylight, Nathan wiped the blood from his nose as Eliza landed in front of him.

'Can't you do more than kick?' he asked her sarcastically.

'Yes,' she nodded, taking out her gun. 'I can do this.' She fired at Nathan, pumping as many bullets as the handgun magazine held into his chest. Nathan's body jolted with each shot and when the final one tore through his skin and shredding his insides, he fell backward in a pool of his own blood. Tears fell down Eliza's cheeks as she saw the man die on the ground. Nick entered the room behind her and she promptly wiped the tears from her face. He stood next to her and made her face him.

'Are you okay?' he asked.

'He's dead now,' Eliza sighed. 'So I am.' Nick looked at Eliza in the eye and nodded, understandingly.

'I'm sorry he...'

'It wasn't your fault,' Eliza interrupted.

'I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help.'

'You stood up to him,' Eliza flicked some of her blonde hair from her face. 'That was very sweet.' The two smiled at each other. Eliza suddenly moved forward, embracing Nick and pulling her head close to hers. She kissed him passionately, holding the back of his head with her hands and running her fingers through his hair. Nick was taken by surprise and was unsure of what to do. On the rooftop, Rochelle appeared and looked through the broken skylight. She saw Nick and Eliza embracing, kissing and stared for a few moments, unable to fathom what she was seeing. She looked away, suppressing the feelings of disappointment and anger that were rising within her. She moved away from the window and looked over at all of the destruction she had created. The front of the town hall completely collapsed and the rest of the building was next. Inside, Nick pushed Eliza gently off him and hesitated.

'We should...' he could not find the words.

'Let's get out of here first,' Eliza told him, running to the skylight.

Rochelle lowered herself off the rooftop and suddenly noticed that the gunfire had ceased. There were only the sounds of the town burning slowly to the ground. She made her way around to the main square in front of the hall, still in a slight daze. Coach and Ellis glanced over to her and had to look twice, unable to believe their own eyes.

'Rochelle?' Coach called out.

'You see her, too?' Ellis thought aloud. The two ran for her, Ellis embracing her tightly. 'How the hell is you here?'

'I came to get you out,' Rochelle smiled weakly at him.

'Damn, girl,' Coach shook his head happily at her. 'You can tell us how you survived falling out of a plane later. We gotta go find Nick.'

'I'm right here,' Nick emerged from around the corner with Eliza. He glanced at Rochelle who looked at him. He stepped back, stunned to see her. 'Rochelle?' he asked. Rochelle looked at him with watery eyes and nodded. Nick stepped away from Eliza and moved to Rochelle, embracing her tight. 'I thought I'd never see you again!'

'I know,' Rochelle wiped a tear from her eye, patting him on the back somewhat distantly. She stepped away from him and Nick gave her a slight questioning look.

'No one move!' Morgan cried behind Eliza, grabbing her neck and holding a gun to her head. Everyone turned to face her. 'Don't think about anything funny!' she spat as she saw everyone look to their weapons. 'You've _ruined_ our town!' she told Rochelle. 'You have destroyed it. _Everything_! Gone!' She stamped on the head of a dead Hunter beside her, crushing it with her foot. The skull shattered and the blood and brain oozed sickly under her feet. 'You've wiped us all out!'

Mortuus suddenly appeared beside the survivors. Morgan aimed her weapon at him, holding onto Eliza's neck tighter.

'Don't move!' she ordered as Mortuus began walking casually toward her. 'I said don't move!' Mortuus raised his gun and shot Morgan in the head as easily and casually as if her were walking down the street and shook someone's hand. Morgan's corpse fell from Eliza, who ran toward Nick. Mortuus took the gun he gave Morgan back and then turned to face the others. Everyone except for Rochelle stepped back from him. Mortuus looked at Nick.

'Do you have the camera she gave you?' he gestured to Rochelle as he spoke. Nick frowned and looked to Rochelle.

'Give it to him,' she told Nick.

'Who are you?' Nick asked.

'I am someone who requires the camera you have been kindly holding for your friend,' Mortuus looked menacingly at Nick. 'Give it to me.'

'It's alright, Nick,' Rochelle told him. 'It's okay. Give it to him.' Looking confused, Nick reached into his bag and took out Rochelle's camera. As Mortuus went to take it, Rochelle beat him to it, holding onto it securely. She pointed out in one direction. 'Head that way for a little bit and you'll come to a large plantation house. Warren's in there.' Eliza's eyebrows rose in surprise. 'There's also a river nearby so we can plan our next move there.'

'We going there then?' Ellis asked. Rochelle hesitated.

'Yeah,' she told him. 'You guys go on ahead though.'

'You're crazy,' Nick told her. 'We just got back together we're not going to split up now.'

'For Christ's sake, Nick just go!' Rochelle shouted at him. She was breathing heavily. 'Just go, please.' Everyone exchanged uneasy glances. 'I'll be right behind you.' Slowly, the four decided to listen to her and they left Rochelle and Mortuus alone.

The two were stood there alone in the town square of the now dead community. They were standing far apart from each other, looking at each other in the eyes. The burning buildings with slowly dying fires and the numbers of bodies that surrounded them had almost no impact; it was just Rochelle and Mortuus. Rochelle moved her hand to her holstered weapon. Mortuus' eyes narrowed as her hand was near it. Moving her fingers over the gun, Rochelle instead hooked the camera securely to her bag. As she did this, her fingers brushed against something that was hooked behind her back, the last remaining Bile bomb.

'Can't be forgetting this, now,' she told Mortuus, eyeing him narrowly. 'Can we?'

*

Coach, Nick, Ellis and Eliza found their way to the plantation house in quite a short space of time. Coach looked to the rear of the house and saw the river along with a small, unoccupied dock. Now all they needed was a boat. Eliza stepped inside the dark house, looking around. The sky was still dark so looking around was difficult.

'Warren?' she called out. 'You here?' A figure stepped from around a corner, holding a gun.

'Freeze!' Eliza stopped.

'How many times is this going to happen to me today?' Eliza thought aloud. Nick grabbed the gunman and struggled with him, throwing him outside just before the plantation. He looked down and was surprised to see it was not a man, but Cybil who was lying on the ground.

'Oh great,' she commented. 'The hick survived.'

'How did you get here?' Ellis asked.

'How did I get here?' Cybil repeated. 'Well, let me see... It's a big motherfucking house! That's how I got here.' Eliza looked over and saw Warren sat down on the stairs leading down the farm. He was alive and well, considering his injuries. 'I was trying to see if I could get rescue out of here.' She raised her phone to her ear. 'Damn it Peter this is the thirtieth time I've called you!'

'Thirty-fourth,' Warren corrected. Nick glanced over at hearing the name "Peter".

'Where the fuck are you?' Cybil spat. 'If you're out there with your hand on your dick while we need help I swear to God I'm gonna rip the fucker off and stuff it down your neck!'

'That sure ain't a very ladylike thing to say, now is it?' said a voice on the other end of the phone. It was an unrecognised voice.

'Who is this?' Cybil asked.

'M'names' Virgil,' said the voice. It had a distinct Cajun accent. 'Now I'm guessing since you're using a wide satellite radio that you're looking for help from someone who has gone a'missin', am I right?'

'Yes,' Cybil told him.

'Well I've located your signal and I've been heading for it for about two hours now. I'll be there in five minutes.'

'You're shitting me!' Cybil was unable to believe it. 'Let's get to that dock.' Cybil led the way, ignoring Warren. Coach and Ellis lifted him up and helped him move forward while Nick stayed behind for a moment.

'Where's Rochelle?' he wondered.

Inside the boat Virgil, a dark skinned man with long grey hair in a ponytail turned off his ship radio and lifted up a smaller one to his mouth.

'In position,' he said.

Nick continued to look around, waiting for Rochelle. Eliza patted him on the shoulder and sighed.

'I'll go up ahead and tell them to wait a moment,' she said, running off for the dock. The boat was already in sight, pulling into the tiny dock.

'Where the hell are you?' he said, kicking the ground in frustration. Suddenly the loud, insane cry of the horde interrupted his thoughts. Nick looked over in the direction the cry came from and saw Rochelle emerge from the trees, alone.

'Run!' she cried. Nick moved over to her but saw Rochelle waving her hands. 'Run!' The mob of infected jumped through the trees, chasing Rochelle intently. Rochelle looked behind and saw a Tank tear open a tree and continue after her. Nick held out his hand and took Rochelle's as she got close and the two made a mad dash for the boat. Virgil stepped onto the small deck and saw the horde heading their way.

'Holy shit you guys are cursed!' he ran back inside to prepare to move off. Everyone was on the boat except for Nick and Rochelle.

The two ran as fast as they could, Rochelle gasping exhaustedly for breath.

'Just go without me!' she spat, falling behind. Nick swooped his hand low and lifted Rochelle off her feet and ran with her in his arms. Rochelle began shooting behind at the infected in a lame attempt to keep them at bay. Virgil in the cockpit began to move the boat forward.

Nick got onto the dock and saw the vessel pulling away. With one last ditch mad dash, he sprinted as fast as he could with the infected almost scratching at his heels.

The boat pulled off from the dock.

Nick jumped through the air with Rochelle.

The two soared the gap between dock and boat.

They were halfway across when Nick felt himself falling.


	9. Chapter 9

9.

The weather was stormy and the water was ferocious. The boat attempted to make its way through the torrential rains using the briefest flashes of lightning in the distance as a direction to head to. The beams from the powerful floodlights mounted to the small vessel could hardly piece the hazy veil ahead and it was nearly impossible to see into the distance. Crashing against something in the water, the boat began to lose control and drift sideways down the river. The vessel ploughed onto the side of the river and capsized, the lightning flashes flickering off the side of hull. Underwater, the control compartment crashed into some rocks, completely destroying it. With a large wave of water, the vessel was pushed aside and ran aground, crashing onto the side of the river. Grinding over the wet ground and onto a road, the boat finally came to a stop looking severely damaged with gaps in the hull and a completely torn away top section. In the distance the weather began to clear and the city of New Orleans was just visible through the clearing clouds.

*

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was dark and hard to distinguish through the blackness of Washington D.C. The entire city was a mess but there were surprisingly few infected to be found. Evidence of severe bombings was present all over the city, including the airport. The runways and most of the grounded planes had been obliterated long ago. The only things that appeared to have survived were a couple of small wind turbines, the blades rotating weakly in the wind. One of the main buildings appeared to be intact. The entrance door was kicked open and Edward Deacon stepped inside followed by Norah Hanham. Inside the building everywhere was dark. Decomposing bodies littered the floors of the gunshot, bloodstained corridors and rooms. The entire place was a mess with furniture being thrown around, used as makeshift barricades, fixtures being torn up in brawls and the stench of death was almost overpowering.

'Well don't say I never take you anywhere,' Edward held a handkerchief to his face.

'As far as romantic dates go this was a pretty lame idea,' Norah joked, carefully stepping around the bodies. 'I mean where are the scented candles and the violin guy playing my favourite songs?'

'You were more of a drums kind of girl,' Edward turned a corner. 'Besides, what's wrong with the scent "eau de corpse?"' Within a few moments, Edward found the room they were looking for. Stepping through the open door, the two entered a room with several computer terminals and desks.

'Alright,' Norah clapped her hands together. 'We need to find out where the Director is hiding.'

'He's on the Abraham Lincoln, right?' Edward asked, turning on the computers. 'You sure these things have enough power for us to locate where it is?'

'Fairly sure,' Norah nodded. 'The energy from wind farms is stored up over time and the turbines are still spinning outside.' As the computers booted up, Edward began typing on the keyboard while Norah stood behind him, watching the screen.

'The databases are still up and running,' Edward told her. 'It looks like they're being accessed from England.'

'That's where the President and everyone else who was important ran to when all this threatened to kick off.'

'They all seemed to jump ship rather quickly, didn't they?' Edward commented. Norah patted him on the shoulder.

'Let's focus on one thing at a time,' she told him in an attempt to dispel any further lack of trust in the government. The Director of CEDA was responsible for the outbreak. Perhaps the conspiracy went further than that. 'Will we be able to send a message out to anyone?'

'Well we could,' Edward told her hesitantly. 'But I'm hiding our access. I reckon if the Director knew we were still alive and kicking he'd nuke us.'

'Good point,' Norah nodded.

'I've found it anyway,' Edward sat back with pride. 'The U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, positioned just off the coast of New Jersey.' Edward narrowed his eyes. 'That's interesting.'

'What is it?' Norah asked.

'Looks like CEDA have a private satellite communication line to New Orleans.'

'How do you know?'

'Because it's live now,' Edward reported. 'Maybe it's the Director?'

'Can you get access to it?' Norah leant forward, interested.

Peter, Nick's father, was driving through the streets of New Orleans in a large 4x4 jeep. The vehicle was able to ram through any obstructions, be they infected or smaller vehicles with ease. However he looked distraught and scared as he skidded around corners, desperate to get where he needed to be.

'It blew up!' he cried down his phone. 'It just crashed. I'm stuck here!'

'What do you mean it just crashed?' the Director on the other end of the line asked.

'They came to pick me up in one of _your_ choppers and it just crashed and burnt!' Peter sighed and wiped his face, nearly crashing the car. 'Look I need to get picked up from inside the city.'

'Impossible,' the Director said flatly.

'You had better make it possible or this briefcase might end up in the hands of that other agency you're so afraid of.'

'You're saying dangerous words,' the Director told him.

'I'm right in front of the new hospital building,' Peter reported, driving the jeep up to the building. 'Lock onto my position and send more help or else you could find yourself in a bit of a pickle when what's in this case falls into the wrong hands.' Peter disconnected the call and looked away as he drove the jeep through the doors to the hospital, crashing through the reception desk. Stepping out of the vehicle, Peter took the briefcase in one hand and a pistol in the other and looked out through the doors. He saw the horde of infected running at him in the distance. Sighing, Peter turned and ran toward the stairwell.

Norah and Edward exchanged glances as the conversation was silenced.

'New Orleans?' Edward spoke Norah's suggestion for her.

'You know you're no fun since you got the ability to read my mind,' Norah joked. Edward stood up and they made their way out of the building.

'I can't help it,' he told her as they walked. 'I know you too well.'

'I know you really well and I can't tell what you're thinking.'

'That's probably good,' Edward opened the outer door, allowing Norah to step through first. 'The drugs, you know? Warps the mind.' The two's jokes were interrupted by the sound of the horde. The sickening echoing screech cut through the dead air and headed straight for them. Down the runway, Norah and Edward saw infected running for them.

'We have to go,' Norah commented, turning and running with Edward.

'Where's the gun?' Edward asked.

'I gave it away,' Norah replied, looking back to see the infected gaining on them.

'You gave it away?' Edward asked, shocked. 'Why the hell did you do that?'

'I dunno, Eddy,' Norah spat. 'Maybe because my mother loved guns and it was a gun she used that murdered my favourite horse!'

'I thought your favourite horse was put down?'

'A gun was used, damn it!' Norah and Edward turned a corner and saw something in front of them, a helicopter. It was of moderate size, about as large as a news helicopter only without any identifiable markings. The pilot was lying beside it, a gun in his hand and a bullet wound to the head. 'See,' Norah commented. 'Both of our problems solved!'

Edward took the gun and sat in the front along with Norah. He began powering up the engine and the blades began spinning slowly.

'So I can shoot, right?' Edward said as he flicked switches. The helicopter lights flickered on.

'Well I'd rather you fly us out of here, to tell you the truth.' The infected turned the corner and ran for them. 'You can start flying whenever you'd like.'

'The blades need to spin a little faster...'

'Just take your time, Eddy, no rush.' The infected were getting closer. The blades were beginning to spin quicker. Norah looked around and ran her tongue over her lips. 'Do you reckon we'll turn into them if we get scratched or something?'

'Nah,' Edward shook his head. 'We'll get torn to pieces first.'

'Good because turning into a zombie would suck.'

'Did you say zombie?' Edward looked at Norah, surprised.

'That's what the others are calling them,' Norah told him.

'Sounds like some lame movie.' The infected were getting so close now.

'Or a videogame,' Norah suggested. Edward laughed.

'Super zombie fighting politicians?'

'Episode two!'

'Why two?'

'Sequels are always better,' Norah told him. The first infected reached the helicopter and began banging on the glass.

'You obviously have never seen Speed II,' Edward joked. The infected surrounded the entire helicopter. 'Or Robocop II... Jaws II, Caddyshack II...'

'I'm talking about games you jackass,' Norah commented. 'Are you going to take off or what?'

'They need to spin a little faster!' Edward told her. Norah let out a frustrated sigh.

'Robocop II was awesome I'll have you know,' she said. Edward rolled his eyes and pulled up on the controls and the helicopter slowly lifted into the air.

'We're still not fast enough but we'll manage,' Edward said, taking them up into the sky. Norah looked out of the window and saw a Spitter hanging on to the rail stands. She opened the door and kicked the infected in the face as it opened its mouth, sending it to the ground.

'Clingy bitch,' Norah sighed. The helicopter flew off into the distance heading for New Orleans.

*

Nick leapt with all his might over the gap separating the boat and the wooden dock, but he was tired and weak from his injuries. He was carrying Rochelle in his arms and could not summon the strength to make it over. With the last ounce of strength, Nick was able to push Rochelle forward so that she would land on the deck of the boat. He saw her fly to safety and felt happy knowing that she would be safe as he fell down toward the crocodile infested waters. The last thoughts to cross through Nick's mind were not of Rochelle, not of his friends or of his father but of wonder; what was the difference between crocodiles and alligators?

Something caught Nick's arm and his face smashed against the side of the boat, his feet inches from the water. The infected jumped blindly into the swamp and were attacked by crocodiles almost instantly. Holding his bleeding nose, Nick looked up to see Ellis clutching his hand for dear life. Nick could feel himself slipping from his grasp when Coach leant over followed by Rochelle. Together the three pulled Nick up from the water and safely onto the deck with the rest of them. Leaving the swamp and infected behind them, the survivors were now surely on the right path to New Orleans.

'Thanks guys,' Nick got to his feet, assisted by Ellis and Coach. Rochelle stood in front of him with her arms folded. She was looking at him with a hurt look on her face. Nick looked back at her, confused before Eliza stepped in front of Rochelle and put her arms around him, embracing him lightly and then stroking his cheek with her thumb. Rochelle looked away from the site and went angrily past Cybil and Warren, stepping into the bridge. Nick watched Rochelle walk away and suddenly felt guilty as he had Eliza all over him.

'I'm so glad you're safe,' she told him. Nick patted her on the back and sighed.

'Thanks.'

The boat was soon far from the swamp and was making good time for New Orleans. The survivors would be there shortly. Inside the vessel on the bridge, Virgil was carefully steering them toward their destination while the rest of the survivors had convened together to talk about their options. Coach and Ellis were stood together at the front while Nick and Eliza were sat down to the back, with Warren resting his leg near them. Rochelle was pacing the room slowly, being watched closely by Nick. Cybil was stood authoritatively, clapping her hands together as she spoke.

'So what's the plan then?' she asked.

'The plan?' Coach repeated. 'Hell, you were the one flying us to New Orleans! Surely you must have had something planned for when we landed.'

'We did,' Cybil nodded slowly, gently biting her lower lip. 'It's just...'

'It's just that her friendly contact she's been speaking to is no longer talking to her,' Warren spoke for her. Cybil shot him an angry look.

'Is that true?' Rochelle asked.

'Well... yes,' Cybil sighed. 'But you folk were headed for New Orleans anyway so you must have had a plan.'

'We heard that the evacuation was taking place in New Orleans,' Nick spoke, hiding his true intentions.

'Well actually you heard of the evacuation happenin' there,' Ellis noted. Nick gave his a distasteful look.

'The point is New Orleans is the place I heard of where there's evacuation so I reckon we should still head there,' he continued. 'I mean it's better to keep moving, looking for rescue rather than just waiting to die.' Rochelle found his statement of not waiting to die ironic, considering that was what he was doing when they had met.

Coach stepped up and walked toward Cybil.

'I want it back,' he told her. She looked at him, confused. 'The ring,' he elaborated. 'That I gave you as payment.' Cybil opened her mouth to object but Coach stepped close to her. 'The only thing your ride got us was one of our own killed so you'd better give it back!' Cybil and Coach exchanged glances. The entire room suddenly became tense. In the distance there was a flash of lightning and a few moments later a crack of thunder. Cybil reached into her pocket, took out the engagement ring Coach had got his fiancée, Ruth, and stepped back. Coach put Cybil's payment back into his pocket and stepped away from her.

'Not that I want to interrupt your domestic dispute,' Virgil spoke, breaking the silence, 'but ain't we got more important things to be worrying about?'

'Yes, we do,' Cybil agreed.

'Like what?' asked Coach.

'Well,' Virgil continued, 'I just picked you guys up. How can I be sure none of you is infected and are gonna turn into one of them?'

'How can we be sure you're not infected and are going to turn on us?' was Nick's fair response. Virgil chuckled.

'I guess you're gonna have to trust me.'

'Well trust us,' Rochelle said. 'We've got more weapons than you, we can keep you safe.'

'My wife trusted people,' Virgil told her. 'She ended up being betrayed and killed.' Everyone went silent. Rochelle glanced over to Nick.

'Well we won't betray you,' she assured Virgil, walking to the door. As she opened it she muttered under her breath; 'no matter how tempting.' Nick watched her leave, feeling concerned. He stood up and went to go after her.

'Where are you going? Eliza asked.

'She's been acting funny since we got out of that town,' he looked back. 'I'm going to find out why.'

'I'll go,' Ellis told him, heading for the door.

'No, Ellis,' Nick held his hand up. 'I'll do it, it'll be fine.'

'Let Ellis go,' Coach told Nick. 'We need to talk about something.' Nick looked confused, unsure of what Coach meant. Standing aside, he let Ellis leave the bridge and shrugged in front of Coach.

'What is it?' Nick asked.

'Why did you want to go to New Orleans?' Coach's eye narrowed. Nick did not understand his question.

'Why?' he repeated. 'Because that's where they were taking people to be evacuated.'

'How did you know that?' Coach asked. 'Rochelle said that when you two ran into each other, you were sat on a rooftop waiting to die.'

'When we rescued Ellis from that mall,' Nick explained, 'remember when I went to have a look around those CEDA trailer-things? Well inside there were the evacuation plans. They said New Orleans was the closest spot where people were being taken out of the country to.'

'What's your point?' Eliza asked for Nick, standing up.

'My point,' Coach looked at her, 'is that your old lady here is in contact with people over there, or should I say _was_ in contact with people over there.'

'So what?' Eliza shrugged.

'So I'm wondering maybe Nick's not been telling us everything,' Coach hypothesised.

'What are you suggesting?' Nick asked. He stepped forward.

'There's been something about you,' Coach told him. 'Something not quite right... You know how to handle a gun, you can fight well, and you can lock pick doors.' Eliza glanced between Coach and Nick as he spoke. 'You're just a little bit shifty in my book.'

'Is this really important?' Warren interrupted.

'I agree,' Cybil said rather unexpectedly. 'Is the past really that important?'

'Of course it is,' was Coach's answer. 'The past is more important than what's happening now. It shows who you are working with and it tells you who you can trust.'

'I think I've proven myself,' Nick commented.

'Sure,' Coach shrugged. 'You've proved yourself really supportive; that's why you were happy to sit back while I went into that amusement park on my own, that's why you were content with just letting Ellis _die_ in the mall!'

'Oh come on!' Nick cried.

'You've always been looking out for yourself,' Coach continued. 'I'm beginning to wonder whether or not you're just using us to get to New Orleans where your friends will pick you up and just leave us there to die!'

'Fuck you, Coach!' Nick spat.

'Fuck me?' Coach repeated. 'Fuck you, you bitch! You're just going to abandon us aren't you?'

'No!' Nick insisted.

'You're going to just leave with your friends, aren't you?'

'I have no friends!' Nick yelled.

The entire room fell awkwardly quiet. Nick was breathing slightly heavily. Eliza was looking at him, concerned. Cybil had taken a step back and was stood with Warren, watching the drama unfold. Coach and Nick stood separate, evenly apart.

'I've never had any friends,' Nick spoke after calming himself down. 'You want to know my past? Alright then, I'll tell you! My father was a conman. I followed in his footsteps when I grew up and we worked together. My mother walked out on us many years before so he raised me. I was always moving, never having a chance to make any real friends. My father was the only person I trusted. Then, just before all this happened he abandoned me, left me just like that.' He clicked his fingers as he finished his sentence. 'I was depressed, lonely and angry. The infection hit Savannah and I was trapped. Rather than fighting to survive I went out and tried to get myself killed. I ended up going to a rooftop where my father and I did our last job together, stealing some case from this guy we didn't know and just sat there and waited to die. Then Rochelle...' He paused for a moment.

'Rochelle came along and saved me; she took me with her where we met you and Ellis. I still really didn't care but as we got farther and farther I started to like you guys. I know I'm not the best person in the world but you, Ellis and Rochelle are the closest thing I've _ever_ had to friends and I wanted to keep a hold of that. The only reason I wanted to go to New Orleans is because I found out my father was there, not because I wanted to abandon the only three people I've been able to be myself with for my entire life.' There was another silence. Cybil bowed her head slightly. Coach sighed as he and Nick stared at each other. 'If you don't trust me or like me then that's fine,' he said slightly emotionally. 'But I trust and like you. And Ellis and Rochelle. I like you all a lot. So I'm not just going to abandon you.'

At the same time outside, Ellis stepped down the small stairs and joined Rochelle who was looking out at the water, leaning on the rail of the boat. Ellis stood next to her and started leaning with her.

'You okay?' he asked. Rochelle let out a breath and smiled, nodding while still looking forward. 'It's just because you're acting mighty weird.'

'It's been a weird day,' she told him. Ellis nodded understandingly.

'Thank you for getting us out of there, by the way,' Ellis told her. 'Where's the other guy who helped you?'

'He didn't want to help me,' Rochelle explained. 'He was just... He had his own reasons for being there.' Ellis looked at her inquisitively. Rochelle sighed and started to elaborate. 'He believed I was in possession of some secrets that could damage the world or something.'

'What?' Ellis frowned at her. Rochelle ran her tongue over her lips.

'Before all this I worked at a news station,' she explained. 'With all the sickness going around I was "promoted" from producer to an on screen journalist.'

'Not bad,' Ellis said in a complimentary tone.

'Well I was naive,' Rochelle sighed. 'I wanted my first case to be something special, something really memorable. With all the sickness going around I wanted to do something on that. No one knew where it had come from, you see, so I wanted to find the origins of the infection. I guess someone didn't want me finding out because by cameraman and an innocent girl were murdered in an attempt to keep things quiet.' Ellis took off his hat and held it to his chest as Rochelle spoke. In the distance there was a flash of lightning followed some moments later by thunder.

'I never knew who killed them,' Rochelle continued. 'But they tried to kill me. As I was driving the van back home, my brakes failed, I think someone cut them and I crashed. I was stuck in Savannah so I just put the van in the shop and continued looking for something. I felt I owed it to my friends who died.'

'Did you find anything?'

'After that, no,' Rochelle sighed. 'The outbreak had got too severe too quick and it was panic in the city. I was on my own and just managed to survive on my own when I met Nick, who...' she paused. 'Who saved my life.' Ellis glanced at Rochelle and saw the look in her eye. It was a look of intense emotion. She suppressed it before clearing her throat and continuing.

'Anyway I didn't think I found something but I guess I was wrong, or maybe they were wrong... anyway that guy I was with was sent to kill me and take my camera, which apparently has evidence on it that someone powerful doesn't want reporting.'

'What makes you say that?' Ellis asked.

'The man shot down the plane we were on just to get me and my camera,' Rochelle explained.

'Good point,' Ellis nodded.

'When he found me I had left the camera with Nick so I made a deal with him to rescue you guys in return for me going with him.'

'Well you're here now?' Ellis questioned. Rochelle nodded.

'I got my own back on him,' she told him. 'We managed to collect some of that goo the really fat zombies spill when they die. We put the goo in some jars and used it to attract the zombies to distract the townspeople when we broke you out. I still had one jar left when it was all over.'

'You used it on him?' Ellis asked.

'I feel so terrible about it,' Rochelle sighed. 'I saw him get mauled by the zombies but... there's something going on! This isn't all just a random infection that's spread through the country, there's something more to it than that. I need to find out who that guy was working for so I can find out the truth about the infection. I need to do it.' Ellis put his hand on Rochelle's shoulder and smiled.

'We'll help you,' he told her. The two smiled at each other.

Their moment was interrupted by a loud crashing bang of thunder. The sky was suddenly darker, filled with storm clouds. It began to rain almost immediately. Ellis and Rochelle were drenched. They moved to the door but fell to the side as the boat lurched in the water. The bridge door opened and Coach beckoned the two to come inside. Ellis stepped forward, helping Rochelle move with him. They slowly stepped over the deck toward Coach. The crashing weather masked the cry of the Smoker that was standing on the shore of the river. The infected sent out its tongue that wrapped around Rochelle's body. Ellis felt her slip from his grasp as she was dragged off to the side of the boat. Her body crashing against the railing, Rochelle bounced and then fell overboard, out of sight.

'No!' Ellis cried, reaching out for her. Coach tried to stop him going after her by grabbing his arm. The entire vessel lurched forward, sending them both flying inside.

'Where's Rochelle?' was Nick's first question. Everyone suddenly fell about the bridge, Virgil was unable to control the boat in the sudden storm. It was so dark that he was attempting to make his way through the torrential rains using the briefest flashes of lightning in the distance as a direction to head to. The beams from the powerful floodlights mounted to his small vessel could hardly piece the hazy veil ahead and it was nearly impossible to see into the distance. Crashing against something in the water, the boat began to lose control and drift sideways down the river.

'Everyone get lower!' Virgil instructed, kicking open a small trapdoor to the lower decks. Eliza jumped down first while Coach assisted Warren down with Cybil.

'Where's Rochelle?' Nick asked again. Coach forced him down under.

'Are you coming?' he called after Virgil as he let Ellis jump down below.

The vessel ploughed onto the side of the river and capsized, the lightning flashes flickering off the side of hull. Underwater, the control compartment crashed into some rocks, completely destroying it. With a large wave of water, the vessel was pushed aside and ran aground, crashing onto the side of the river. Grinding over the wet ground and onto a road, the boat finally came to a stop looking severely damaged with gaps in the hull and a completely torn away top section. In the distance the weather began to clear and the city of New Orleans was just visible through the clearing clouds.

Rochelle was pulled out of the water by the Smoker. She felt like a fish on the end of a hook being reeled in by a fisherman. Her legs were the only part of her body not constrained so she kicked around feverishly, attempting to stop herself. In the torrential rain she came closer and closer to the Smoker. A few feet from it, Rochelle stopped struggling, seemingly resigned to her fate.

As she was pulled just in front of it, Rochelle kicked herself up with her left foot, swung her right leg upward and kicked the Smoker straight in the mutated face. The tongue restraint was severed and Rochelle was able to free herself. The Smoker stumbled and ran for her. Rochelle pulled out her combat shotgun, beat the infected beast away with it and pulled the trigger. The infected died with a massive plume of gagging smoke erupting from its body. Rochelle stepped back, coughing and spluttering as she choked. She looked up at the sky as the rain fell, washing the impurities out of her eyes and off her face. Her throat cleared, Rochelle spat the last of the dirt out of her mouth and looked down the river in the direction they were headed. Through the trees a small road was visible with a sign saying that New Orleans was just five miles away. Reloading her shotgun, Rochelle stepped forward and made her way toward the city.

*

The bad weather had calmed down as quickly as it had appeared. Coach was the first to regain consciousness. He had fallen into the lower section just as the boat capsized and was knocked out on a wall. The lower section was a tiny corridor with several doors leading to rooms. Everything was now upside down and Coach was walking on the ceiling. He looked down at the hatch he had fallen through. What should have been the entrance to the bridge was now hard concrete. Having a bad feeling, Coach walked through the upside down vessel to look for the others.

Coach looked into one room, pushing up on the door handle to open it. After seeing that no one was in there he looked around into another room and walked in on Nick and Ellis lying unconscious in what appeared to be some sleeping quarters. Underneath the upside down bunk beds that were bolted to the floor were Eliza and Cybil. The other bunk bed head fallen and the support post had gone straight through Warren's stomach. Coach ran for him as he was moving gently, coughing up blood.

'Hey man,' Coach knelt down. 'How you doing?'

'How does it look?' Warren coughed. 'I'm screwed.'

'Nah you're alright,' Coach lied. 'We'll just get this off you and patch you up good and proper. You'll be fine.'

'I'm dying,' Warren sighed. He chuckled, coughing up some more blood that ran down each side of his face in a single, neat line. 'I never thought I'd play a really big part with you guys,' he said. 'But it was nice to tag along for a while, even if I was shot, in a plane crash, broke my leg and now been in a boat crash. You know he was right.'

'Who was right?' Coach asked.

'Virgil,' Warren choked. 'You guys are cursed. I mean first it was that race car guy then Virgil and now me. Everyone around you dies!' Coach closed his eyes for a moment and thought about his Ruth, his fiancé. Maybe what Warren was saying was true, maybe Coach was the one who was cursed.

'Shoot me,' Warren begged. Coach opened his eyes.

'What?'

'I can't breathe,' Warren gasped. 'It's too painful. I'm dying, please! Shoot me!'

'I'm not going to shoot you!' Coach insisted.

'Please!' Warren begged, looking away from Coach as tears fell from his eyes. 'I'm in so much pain... just...'

Coach shot Warren in the back of the head, the loud bang jolting Ellis awake. He saw Warren's body and Coach leant over him. Coach noticed Ellis was now awake and gave him a grim stare. Ellis bowed his head.

It did not take long for the survivors to climb their way out of one of the cracks in the hull of the boat. Walking on the ground they looked into the distance as the sun was rising over the city of New Orleans. The fresh smell of wet grass and cold air shook away any weariness or pain that they were feeling. Coach stood before Cybil, Ellis, Nick and Eliza and pointed at New Orleans.

'We're finally here,' he said.

'Rochelle isn't here,' Nick commented. The group were sombre. Nick felt ghastly; it felt like he had lost her twice in such a short space of time.

'Rochelle would want us to move on,' Ellis told him.

'I know,' Nick sighed. 'It's just... I wanna go look for her.'

'Don't be an idiot,' Cybil told him. 'She could never have survived those waters.'

'She survived falling out of a plane!' Nick cried. 'Look I'm going to look for her.' There was a silence.

'I'll go, too,' Eliza said.

'No,' Nick shook his head, taking her shoulders. 'I want you to be safe.' Nick gave her a weak smile. 'Just go, I'll be fine.'

'We're gonna find rescue, Nick,' Coach said. 'And we're not going to leave without you.' Nick and Coach exchanged meaningful glances.

'I promise,' Coach told him.

It was then with Coach's promise and smile that Nick knew he had found the people he had been looking for all his life. Coach was a better father figure than the one he already had, Ellis was like the brother he always wanted and Eliza was like the woman he had always wished for.

Then there was Rochelle. Nick's overwhelming desire to find his father, Peter, had been replaced. All that seemed to matter to him now was Rochelle. He needed to find Rochelle. Nothing else mattered. Was she the woman he had always wished for? Nick felt confused, upset and angry. He needed someone. Without another word he turned from the group, gripped his gun and went off searching for Rochelle. Coach and the others turned and went off their own way.

*

The main reception area of the hospital was needlessly extravagant. The whole front of the building was made out of glass that curved downward artistically. Halfway up was a long walkway that extended out from the main building over the reception across the entire width of the building. The one long walkway then branched out toward the glass where someone could walk outside onto a balcony. Peter was stood on this balcony, looking around the sky desperately. His phone was to his ear.

'Director I need help,' he spoke desperately. 'The infected are closing in on me; I can't hold them off for long. Plus the people from the other agency are closing in on me.'

'That makes sense,' the Director sighed as he walked through the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. 'I asked you to steal the briefcase from the other agency, it's only natural they'll want it back considering how valuable the contents are.'

'Look,' Peter looked down the walkway to see if there were any infected. 'I've got myself in a pretty safe position here but if the infected swarm me I'll be dead and then there's no way CEDA will get the case and then this entire operation will have been for nothing.'

'I've managed to pinpoint some weaknesses with the agents that are coming for you,' the Director said, stepping down a new corridor of the aircraft carrier. 'I'm sending them to you now. Also I found out where Cybil is.'

'She doesn't matter now,' Peter told him. 'All she did was ferry people to me so that I can send them on to you. She had no idea what she was really doing.'

'Yes well some of the people she is travelling with could offer something you could use to your advantage. I've left a package for you on the roof of the hospital. It should come in useful.'

'How did you do that?' Peter asked.

'I'm commencing regular bombing runs of several areas; I got one of the harriers to drop it off. I'd collect it quick, you're due to have some uninvited company.' The Director hung up the phone as he stepped into his office onboard. He waited inside for a moment before Admiral Richard Jaeger stepped inside, joining him.

'What's going on?' the Director asked him.

'Four survivors have just come in,' Jaeger explained. 'They claim to be immune but they could be carriers.' The Director nodded.

'Alright; keep them away from everyone. We'll take blood samples and, since we don't want any outbreaks onboard we'll just have to dispose of them.' The survivors the two were talking about were waiting on the top deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, surrounded by armed soldiers. They were Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey.

In the distance from Peter, not too far away, the helicopter flown by Edward and Norah was getting closer to New Orleans. On the roof of the hospital, Peter opened up the large boxed package that was about the size of a container used to carry large animals. As he looked upon the contents, he grinned.

*

Nick was walking along, looking around for Rochelle. He suddenly heard a twig behind him snap. He turned around and fired a shot into the tree that Ellis was stood next to.

'You know shooin' me ain't gonna help nothin',' Ellis told him. Nick lowered his gun and sighed.

'Ellis what the hell are you doing here?'

'Was you really expectin' me not to come?' Ellis asked. 'Come on, man. Rochelle's my friend, too. Besides, we can't have you going off by yourself. That's a recipe for disaster. Speakin' of which; I ever tell you about the time Keith tried our hand at cooking?'

They continued walking and as Ellis told his story to Nick, Norah flew overhead. The helicopter passed Coach, Cybil and Eliza who immediately began running after it. Edward started to land the helicopter on top of the hospital roof, which was now empty. With the engine powering down, Norah and Edward disembarked from the vehicle and stepped onto the rooftop.

'He knows we are here,' Norah told Edward. 'Let's split up and search the area. When we find him we can use him to take us to the Director.' Norah and Edward walked through into the hospital and separated.

Meanwhile Ellis and Nick were walking when they suddenly heard something in the forest. They raised their weapons ready to shoot but stopped when Rochelle emerged from the woods. Overjoyed, Nick ran for her to embrace her. He put his arms around her but Rochelle stepped away rather promptly, not forgetting what she had seen him doing with Eliza in the town.

'What are you guys doing here?' she asked.

'You know we could never leave you behind, Ro,' Ellis told her.

'Warren and Virgil are dead,' Nick explained.

'Oh no,' Rochelle looked genuinely saddened by the news.

'Coach took the others ahead to look for rescue,' Ellis explained. 'If we hurry we might be able to catch them!'

*

Twenty minutes after the helicopter landed on the hospital, Coach, Cybil and Eliza walked through the front entrance. There were several infected loitering around and they, together, shot them all down efficiently. Walking through the reception, Coach looked around.

'Reckon the elevators are still working?' he wondered out loud.

'If we get to the rooftop we can talk to the pilot and finally get out of here!' Eliza said enthusiastically. Coach could almost smell the scent of freedom in the air. After all they had been through; things were finally starting to look up.

The door to the stairwell suddenly opened and Norah Hanham stepped into the reception. She raised her hands as everyone aimed their weapons at her.

'Don't shoot!' she cried. Everyone lowered their guns as she stepped forward.

'Are you Peter?' she asked Coach, who frowned at her.

'Who the hell are you?' was his answer.

'I'm sorry,' Norah said breathlessly. 'My name is Norah Hanham. I was Secretary of... well I was part of the government... before.'

'You really screwed the pooch on this whole thing, didn't you?' Cybil noted.

'I'm trying to fix things now,' she explained. 'I'm not willing to give up on this country, not yet.'

'Well that's your job, lady,' Cybil walked past her. 'We're just looking to get out of here.'

'In that helicopter?' Norah guessed. 'That's mine and my friend's. If you help me find this man called Peter then we will fly all of you out of the country.'

'There are three more of us,' Coach told Norah. He looked out the door and saw Rochelle, Nick and Ellis running into the hospital reception. 'Well we're all here now. Good to see you're safe, Rochelle.'

Everyone introduced themselves to Norah, who quickly did the same.

'If we work together we all can search this hospital in no time whatsoever,' Norah announced.

'I don't think so,' a loud voice announced over the public address system. Everyone looked around, wondering where it had come from. 'Go to the computer terminal behind the desk.' Nick frowned, the distorted voice sounded vaguely familiar. Everyone moved over to the reception desk and looked at the computer monitor. Something was being sent to it. Norah clicked the open button and a window popped up with a video playing on it. The video was a live image of someone that only one person recognised. Nick looked surprised as he saw his father on the screen.

'My, my, Nick,' Peter sighed. 'You look like shit.'

'Well you are shit so I guess we're even,' Nick retorted. Everyone gave Nick a confused look. 'Oh this is my dad, Peter,' he told them.

'Shit!' Coach cried.

'He's old,' Ellis commented.

'And ugly,' Rochelle added.

'Okay shut up now!' Peter ordered. 'You're Rochelle aren't you?' he asked.

'Everyone seems to know me,' Rochelle sighed.

'Everyone knows you have something valuable,' Peter told her.

'Where is the Director?' Norah interrupted. 'I know you're in contact with him; where the hell is he?'

'I think the question you should be asking is where is your friend, Norah?' Norah narrowed her eyes questioningly. Peter stepped back and revealed someone tied to a chair with a bag over their head. He grabbed the bag and pulled it up, revealing Edward strapped and secured down. His mouth was gagged and he was unable to speak.

'Oh my God...' she gasped. Peter moved the camera to the side, revealing someone else tied up with a bag over their head. 'Who is that?' Norah asked.

'A present, madam secretary,' Peter stepped over to the hostage and pulled the bag off. 'A present for Coach.'

He pulled the bag off, revealing the face of Coach's fiancé, Ruth. Coach gasped and staggered backward, falling off his feet to the ground.

'No,' he gasped. 'No, it's not possible.'

'Oh but it is,' Peter said. 'She's right here. I have two people here. Two people in exchange for one.' He pointed to Rochelle.

'I don't have whatever it is you want!' Rochelle cried.

'The Director would like to talk to you,' Peter told her. 'You've got fifteen minutes to get to the thirtieth floor. Come a second later and someone's going to die.'

The screen went blank. Everyone stood in silence.

Peter had now made it personal.


	10. Chapter 10

10. Passing

The sun had risen over the city of New Orleans and the view was not flattering. Bodies lined the streets, flames had torn through buildings and the infected were as numerous as ever. While the majority of people in New Orleans were either dead or infected there were a certain few who were still very much human. Two of these people were perched on top of a small office block that stood opposite the hospital. While the hospital was needlessly grand in design; with the front of the building being made out of clear glass that curved down slightly in a triangular fashion to the rest of the building, the office block was worn down and had been the sight of a great battle recently. The two people on the roof were named Zach and James and they had been waiting there since they had taken Ruth, on the orders of the Director, to the roof of the hospital. As they sat on the office block watching through binoculars at the survivors in the reception area, they remained silent, concentrating. Behind them was their helicopter which they had landed neatly on the rooftop, the radio making a faint sound resembling static. The static did not distract them from their job as they were heavily dedicated to their job of serving the Director. As Zach and James monitored the survivors in the reception as they had a heated discussion they knew that they had to keep their guard up with them. The Director had them backed into a corner and who knew how they would react.

A storm was coming with the hospital being right in the centre of it.

The sun shone brilliantly through the glass of the reception, making the lighting of the room feel slightly intense and streaky with the climate being rather stuffy and unpleasant. Stood around the reception desk, the survivors were having an important discussion. Although they did not know it yet, what they were conferring about would have far reaching consequences for themselves, the Director and the rest of the world.

'What is your father doing, Nick?' Rochelle asked him. 'I mean; kidnapping people so that he can get his hands on me and my camera is the stupidest plan I have ever heard.'

'How did he get a hold of her anyway?' Coach asked, still visibly shaken by what he had seen on the computer monitor. 'I mean, I thought she was dead. I was there when she died!'

'Coach,' Ellis put his hand on his shoulder. 'You shouldn' wonder why she's back but just worry about keepin' her here.'

'I think I know how he might have got her here,' Norah began to hypothesise. 'The Director must have conducted background checks on all of us and is using everything he can against us. He may have plucked her from an evacuation centre to be used for this purpose.'

'Listen, lady,' Eliza stepped forward, her tone and lack of respect irritating Norah somewhat. 'I don't know who this Director guy is or what the hell he has to do with what's going on right now so why don't you just cram it for a moment so we can figure out what to do next?'

'The Director is a man named Avery Ingram,' Norah ignored Eliza's petulance in order to speed things along. He's in charge of the Civil Emergency Defence Agency.'

'CEDA?' Ellis asked.

'Yes,' Norah confirmed. 'He's responsible for all of this infection business and he has done everything in his power to try and hinder the rescue services for reasons that are too complex to go into. Suffice it to say I want to bring him down and I discovered that your father,' she gestured to Nick, 'was working with him so me and Edward planned on going to him to get some answers.'

'And here you are,' Eliza muttered.

'Are you working with your father?' Norah asked Nick. He looked disgusted at the accusation. 'I mean if he is after something Rochelle has then it would make sense to have a spy on the inside.'

'That's ridiculous!' Rochelle spat.

'Is it?' Norah spoke rhetorically. 'You are unaware of what you have filmed that is of great interest to the Director. Maybe Nick was placed with you to ensure that you do not find out, limit the amount of people who know. Perhaps he has been trailing you so that you do not uncover what they don't want you to find.'

'That's crazy,' Nick commented dismissively.

'Is it?' Norah repeated.

'My father abandoned me,' Nick stepped close to Norah threateningly. She did not flinch or recoil as he approached her. 'He left me in Savannah to die! I've come to New Orleans to find out why he did it, not to help him with some evil government conspiracy. How do we know you're not the one who can't be trusted? How do we know you're not working for Peter?'

'Because my best friend is being threatened along with his fiancé!' Norah cried back. She looked to Coach. 'Do you trust him?' Coach thought about it for a moment, thinking back to the conversation Nick and he had shared on Virgil's boat.

'If you don't trust me or like me then that's fine,' Nick had said slightly emotionally. 'But I trust and like you. And Ellis and Rochelle. I like you all a lot. So I'm not just going to abandon you.'

'Do you trust him?' was Norah's question.

'I do,' Coach told her. Nick smiled slightly.

'That's great,' Cybil announced. 'Well I don't think I can stand around here any longer. This is all your business so I think I'll leave you here.'

'I don't think so,' Nick held his pistol up at Cybil as she went to leave.

'What are you doing?' Eliza asked, confused.

'You know Peter, don't you?' he asked Cybil. She responded with a look of confusion and shook her head.

'What the hell are you talking about?' she spat.

'I heard his code name over the radio,' Nick elaborated. 'Pensioner Pete or something, was it?'

'You're crazy,' Cybil dismissed but took in a sharp, uneasy breath as Nick cocked his gun. 'Alright, fine!' she cried. 'I know him.'

'Talk, bitch,' Nick's eyes narrowed.

'It's not how you think,' Cybil insisted. 'Really; he just hired me to transport as many people as I could to New Orleans so they could be taken away.'

'How sinister,' Norah commented.

'Hey they were rescued from all this, weren't they?' was Cybil's defence.

'I'd hardly call it rescue if they're being sent back and used as pawns in the Director's messed up games!' Norah cried back.

'This isn't helping,' Coach interrupted the conversation. He glanced over to Nick, an unmistakeable look of fear in his eyes. 'I lost her once. I can't go through it again.'

'You won't,' Rochelle stepped forward. 'He wants my camera so I'll just give it to him.'

'It's not that simple,' Norah interjected. 'As I've said you may have something on there that is really valuable that can't fall into the wrong hands.'

'Plus we ain't giving you away, neither,' Ellis added.

'Well what the hell do we do?' Rochelle asked. 'We're running out of time.'

There was a brief silence. There was a divide, Coach wanted Ruth back but Norah did not want to give in to Peter, despite the fact that he had Edward.

'I'll go buy some time,' Nick suggested.

'Are you sure?' Eliza asked, standing close to him and resting her hand on his chest. 'Want me to come with you?'

'No this is something I need to do alone,' Nick told her. He looked up to Coach. 'I'll make sure he doesn't hurt your fiancé.' Coach smiled at him and Nick turned and ran to the elevator.

'What the hell do we do then?' Cybil muttered. Nick looked back at her and shrugged.

'I'm not the boss,' he told her before stepping into the elevator. Everyone then turned to Norah.

'Well...' she sighed, thinking. 'This is tough. I usually have Eddy's advice.'

'We can't let him kill them!' Rochelle cried.

'No but we can't just hand over evidence that could prove the Director's treachery either.'

'You know maybe we could,' Coach theorised.

'I understand you want your fiancé back,' Norah told him, 'but think of the bigger picture here.'

'No!' Coach blocked her. 'That's a digital camera, isn't it?' Rochelle frowned at the question but nodded in response. Then a look of understanding washed over her face.

'We can copy the footage onto a computer!' she cried with joy. 'Damn, why didn't I think of that before?'

'Well where abouts can we do that?' Ellis asked. 'These computers here are locked.'

'There must be a server room somewhere,' Norah said. 'If we go there then we should be able to get control of the computers and then copy what's on the camera onto a computer.'

'Let's do that, then,' Coach said enthusiastically. 'I can't just stand around doing nothing.'

'Where would the servers be?' Eliza wondered. As they discussed their plan, Cybil stepped close toward the main doors. Rochelle noticed her edging away and called after her.

'You not staying?' she asked sarcastically.

'Look this has nothing to do with me,' she told them. 'I'm just gonna go and let you do what you need to do.'

'You'll never survive out there on your own,' Ellis told her. Cybil sighed and looked at him.

'I'd rather take my chances with the infected than get dragged into this with you lot.' She took a breath and walked out through the doors. 'That boat captain guy, he was right about you. You are cursed.'

As soon as Cybil stepped out on the streets a gunshot echoed through the quiet city. The survivors looked over and saw her collapse as a bullet tore through her leg. As Zach reloaded his sniper rifle, keeping Cybil in his sights, James took out a small device from a metallic case, pushed a button on it and lobbed it into the air. The small grenade fell with blinking lights. The lights blinked quicker as it went to the ground and as it crashed against the street it let out a loud wailing sound. The survivors all covered their ears as the noise pierced into their heads. The wail lasted for about ten seconds before dying down. Cybil looked over at the device that landed a few feet away from her, wondering what it was.

Then the horde arrive; hundreds of infected running around a corner heading straight for the hospital.

'Dear God,' Coach muttered. Ellis moved forward to try and help Cybil but was restrained by Rochelle who gave him a grim look. Before they could act, infected swarmed over Cybil with more heading for the hospital.

'Let's get out of here!' Ellis cried, running for the elevators. He hammered on the call button and looked around. Coach and Eliza were with him but Rochelle and Norah had run for the stairwell. Before they had time to talk, the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside as Rochelle and Norah made their way up the long way. The infected split into groups heading for both of them but when the elevator doors closed, they began running up the individual stairwells and spreading throughout the building.

Zach and James sat on the rooftop watching the events unfold. Zach's phone started to ring and he answered it as James shot an interested glance his way.

'Yes?' Zach spoke into the device.

'I don't wish to convolute things further,' the Director spoke on the other line, 'but things here are dangerously close to getting out of hand. Have you got Peter yet?'

'He is still attempting to eliminate the target,' Zach reported.

'God damn it I wish he would hurry the hell up!' the Director spat. 'It's hard enough trying to keep on top of things here without Peter bringing his personal feelings into the mission.' The Director sighed and composed himself. 'Just call me as soon as you're heading to the Abraham Lincoln.' As the call was disconnected, Zach lowered his phone and put it away. Equipping a modest sized FN P90, Zach stood before James who stood up and took a similar weapon.

'Looks like we need to speed things along a bit,' Zach told him.

*

The elevator doors opened and Nick stepped out onto the thirtieth floor. He found himself in the middle of a t-junction with corridors to his left and right and a passageway up ahead. Taking out his handgun, Nick slowly stepped ahead, passing nurses' stations and heading forward through a set of double doors. Ahead the lights were flickering on and off. There were signs indicating that up ahead were treatment rooms, wards and a quarantine lab. The sign for the lab catching his eye, Nick stepped through that door and found himself in a small room.

Computers and laboratory equipment surrounded him. In front of him was a large glass window with a door to the right. Stepping through the electronic door Nick found himself in the quarantine labs that were unexpectedly large. There were rows and rows of work benches with a little nook cornered away up ahead. Nick stepped around the corner and found himself in a smaller room. There was another glass window and door ahead but through there he could see the chemical storage area. Inside were Ruth, Edward and Peter. Watching his son approach through the other side of the glass, Peter smiled to himself.

'That's close enough,' he told Nick who promptly stopped.

'Peter,' Nick acknowledged his presence.

'You never call me "dad",' Peter sighed. 'Not once. Not even when you were little. You called your mother "mom", even when she ditched us you still called her "mom" but you never call me "dad".'

'I guess you're not very fatherly,' Nick responded. 'I can't think of many fathers who would drag their sons out to work with them when they were six years old.'

'Those were fun times though, weren't they?' Peter spoke genuinely, reminiscing fondly about the past. 'Besides you turned out alright didn't you? I mean you've come here to do the right thing, I assume?'

'Yeah,' Nick answered with a breath.

'Well consider how blurred the lines between right and wrong are, for a moment,' Peter held the gun to Ruth's stomach. 'I could shoot her and take two lives. I'm sure your friend Coach would have something to say about that.'

'You know about him?' Nick asked.

'Oh yes!' Peter nodded. 'The man I, or should I say _we_ because you did some stuff for him too? Unknowingly of course... anyway he's given me some fun profiles about you lot. Coach, for example; had a promising career as a football player ahead of him until he had an "accident".' He took the gun away from Ruth and made mocking quotation marks with his fingers. 'Or we are told to believe it was an accident. He got in deep with criminals; he liked to hit the poker tables and lost one hand too many and had his legs beaten when he couldn't pay.'

'I don't believe you,' Nick's eyes narrowed.

'Believe what you want,' Peter shrugged. 'That's what your friend Ellis does. He's a basket case, numerous psychological profiles that indicate he's just a freak-out away from losing his mind forever, if he hasn't already. Then there's Rochelle...'

'Shut the hell up!' Nick stepped forward and raised his gun. Peter responded by raising his own to Edward's head. 'I didn't come here to listen to you make up lies about my friends or to find this evidence that you're after.'

'I've got some right here,' Peter nodded to the briefcase, winking.

'I didn't come here for that, either,' Nick spat.

'Then why did you come here?' Peter shrugged, stepping close to the glass. 'Why did you come all this way?'

'I came to find out why you left me!' Nick cried. He lowered his gun and stepped to the glass, resting his hand on it. 'You just left me there.'

'Sorry kiddo,' Peter spoke without remorse. 'I had more important things to do.'

'Right,' Nick scoffed.

'When Avery Ingram gives you an order, you follow it.'

'What orders were they?' Nick asked. 'What was so important that you abandoned your own son?' He slammed his fists against the glass and it shook slightly. It was quite thin. Peter stepped close and glared into his son's eyes. He lifted the briefcase.

'It's because of this!' he cried. 'The people we stole this from wanted it back. I had to eliminate them. By remarkable coincidence your friend Rochelle got involved in all of this funny business, too. I was sent to kill her.'

'What?' Nick gasped.

'I killed some of her friends but didn't really have a chance to do her in,' Peter paused and winked at Nick. 'That is until she gets here now.'

Nick punched his fist through the glass and grabbed Peter by the neck, pulling him out. Using his gun he fired a shot at Edward's ropes before dropping the weapon and stepping over to his father who was shuffling away on the ground. As Edward started loosening his ropes, Nick stood over Peter who swung the metal briefcase through the air, striking him across the face. Nick fell into the main laboratories as Peter marched toward him, kicking him as he got up into a work bench. Peter forced Nick back by pushing his arm on his neck and punching him in the stomach. Nick was instantly winded and fell to the ground where Peter kicked him repeatedly in the stomach, Nick flinching with each blow.

Lying there, slowly gasping, Nick looked up as Peter turned around to bring the case closer to him. He then pulled out his handgun with every intent on using it on his own son.

'This takes me back,' Peter mused with his back to Nick. 'I remember when your mother found out how I really earned my money. I pushed her on the floor just like you are now.' Nick looked up, shocked at his father. 'Of course it was easier to tell you at the time that she simply walked out on us, rather than just saying that she was buried in the backyard next to your dog. Ah well. Life eh?'

Peter went to turn around but Nick kicked him in the back of the legs, causing him to stumble. He went for Peter's gun and after a brief struggle, it discharged in the air, the shot echoing around the lab. Peter grabbed Nick's neck and with some amazing strength lifted him into the air a few inches and slammed him back down, sending the gun skidding across the floor. Nick clawed at Peter's hand as it choked the life out of him. Peter stared at his son as he slowly watched him die. He was enjoying it.

Nick punched Peter's face with his elbow, knocking him aside. Pushing his father off him, Nick was able to stand, coughing slightly. Peter used this moment and hit Nick with his case, sending him crashing over a work bench. He then ran out of the laboratories but was soon followed by Nick who chased him through the corridors. Edward meanwhile had managed to untie himself thanks to Nick shooting his ropes and was beginning to assist Ruth.

Coach, Ellis and Eliza got off on the thirtieth floor and looked around for inspiration on where to go. They went the same direction Nick did and found themselves in the laboratories just as Edward and Ruth stepped out. The two groups looked at each other for a moment. Coach and Ruth ran for each other and embraced one another tightly. Coach passionately kissed her as if no one else was there, and held her tight.

'You're okay,' he gasped, tears falling from his eyes. 'I can't believe you're alright. How did you survive? I saw the apartment explode!'

'I hid in the fridge,' Ruth told him. 'Saw it on Rambo.'

'The second one wasn't as good as the first,' Edward commented. Everyone looked questioningly at him. 'Oh, pardon me, I'm Edward Deacon.'

The introductions were cut short as the stairwells burst open with the infected ploughing through toward the survivors.

'They always find us easily, don't they?' Ellis commented.

'Wouldn't be fun otherwise!' Coach cocked his weapon as he, Ellis and Eliza stood defensively in front of Edward and Ruth. They began to open fire.

*

Peter had ascended several flights of stairs but was soon growing tired. He was not a young as his son who was close behind him. Emerging from the stairwell, Peter was in a corridor that was occupied by several common infected; each looked over at him as he invaded their space. Nick burst out of the door behind him and threw a punch at his father. Peter deflected the blow as the infected began to head toward them.

Nick and Peter equipped their handguns, with Nick swinging his to strike Peter across the face. Peter blocked the attack, leaving Nick aiming at the infected approaching from behind. He fired a few shots as Peter fired some shots at the infected in the other direction. Nick used his free hand to punch Peter in the stomach and kicked him in the face with his knee as he bent over, winded. As Peter fell to the ground, Nick fired more shots at the infected, the bullets shooting past just over Peter's head. On the ground, Peter swooped his feet along the floor, causing Nick to stumble to the side, falling into an office. Peter then jumped up to his feet and followed him inside, shooting at more infected.

Peter ducked, avoiding a shot from his son and then lunged forward, pushing Nick toward the glass window. The glass cracked as Nick's body was slammed against it and as Peter restrained him by sending a few blows of the knee to his stomach, the glass cracked further. Nick was powerless to resist and could hardly move. With all of his strength he pointed his gun at the glass.

With one shot the window shattered and Nick and Peter fell outside. The two did not fall very far as they landed on the sloped glass that ran down the front of the hospital. Rolling across the slope, their weapons were discarded and lost. Peter managed to hang onto his briefcase

Nick and Peter landed on the small observation balcony, Peter's leg cracking horribly. Over in the distance his gun also landed safely but Peter was clutching his leg in pain and not able to move in time before Nick kicked him as he lay there.

'It's over old man,' Nick told him, kicking him once more. He looked over at the briefcase that had landed nearby. Nick stepped toward it and bent down to open it up.

'Don't!' Peter spat.

'Let's see what all the fuss is about,' Nick muttered, wondering what was so important that he and his father had killed for it not too long ago. Opening the case, Nick found his answer.

Inside the metallic briefcase was a small memory card a vial of clear liquid.

'That's all of the research,' Peter explained, 'into this flu; every detail of the infection, where it came from and even how it was spread throughout the U.S.'

'No wonder the Director wanted it,' Nick muttered. 'And this?'

'That's a sample of the virus,' Peter told him. 'No one has been able to stabilize it outside of a host. It's a miracle.'

'Yeah,' Nick closed the case and stood up. 'Well I'm going to see my friends now.'

'They're just going to steal it from you,' Peter called out after Nick as he went to step back inside the building.

'Who are?' Nick asked.

'The people we stole it from,' Peter told him. 'The Director and CEDA aren't the only people interested in this virus.'

'That's fascinating,' Nick sighed. 'If you'll excuse me...' He kicked Peter in the face, knocking him out cold. Nick then stepped inside the building, walking across the large suspended walkway over the reception. He felt perfectly happy as he stepped inside, leaving his father to die. Despite the commotion going on all around, Nick was happy that he was able to take the evidence and bring down the Director after getting revenge on his father.

Nick was feeling good about himself until he looked up and saw Rochelle. She was a little way down the walkway. The way the light shone through the glass made her skin glow a beautiful golden colour. As the two walked to each other, Nick felt an amazing sense of joy deep inside. He cracked a smile.

'Hey,' he told her.

'Nick,' Rochelle nodded at him.

She then stopped where she was and pulled up her gun, aiming it at Nick's head. Nick suddenly stopped, confused.

'I've been waiting for you,' she told him, sounding grim. Nick was unable to think of anything to say.

'Now hand me the briefcase,' Rochelle ordered, her hand holding onto the weapon tight.


	11. Chapter 11

11. Passing Part Two

Rochelle stepped into the cockpit of the boat that had rescued her and her friends from the plantation. Virgil looked over to her and smiled. They were alone. While the other survivors were stood outside entertaining themselves, Rochelle had business to attend to. As Nick looked uncomfortably at Eliza as she threw herself at him, as Ellis knelt down next to Warren to help treat his leg wound and as Coach and Cybil quietly conversed about what to do next, Rochelle locked the door to the bridge, stepped over to Virgil and leant with her back on one of the consoles.

'You've got really good timing,' she spoke with a complimentary tone.

'I was told to just pick you up, Rochelle,' Virgil looked over at her. 'Only you.'

'Well plans changed, didn't they?'

'I'll say,' Virgil muttered. 'Have you retrieved the case yet? The fact that it is not in your hand gives me the answer.' Rochelle sighed and brushed a strand of hair from her face while running her tongue over her dry lips.

'It's in New Orleans,' she spoke with certainty. 'Nicky's father has it and he wants to find him as much as I do.'

'Nicky?' Virgil shot Rochelle a sly, questioning look. 'Getting intimate with the targets, are we?'

'Oh God no,' Rochelle denied rather adamantly shaking her head. 'He stole it from us in the first place, right? Why would I be interested in him? You're crazy, Virgil. Crazy.'

'If you say so,' Virgil grinned, looking back to see where he was going. 'Just make sure you're prepared.'

'For what?' Rochelle asked.

'Be prepared to take care of him when the time comes.'

'That won't be necessary,' Rochelle insisted. 'He's harmless, no threat. Really.' Virgil smirked.

'Like I said; be prepared.' Rochelle swallowed hard. Noticing Virgil's smug glances, she pulled the slide back on her gun and let it fall back in place with a loud, satisfying click.

'I am prepared,' she told him.

*

Making their way down the corridor, Coach, Ellis and Eliza were keeping the infected at bay while protecting Edward and Ruth. Ellis had allowed Edward to borrow one of his handguns and he was helping suppress the number of infected that got close to them.

A door burst open next to the survivors and a Hunter leapt from the dark room, knocking Coach off his feet as it began to claw at him. Eliza went to help him but was met with her own problems as a Jockey jumped up from the horde, bounced on top of the running infected and wrapped itself around her body, pulling her away from the group. Edward fired a few shots after her but stopped as he saw Eliza stumble into a dark room with a crying Witch sat inside. Edward not thinking things could get any worse was proved wrong when a Boomer emerged from the crowd.

Taking decisive action, Ellis retrieved his hunting rifle and shot the Boomer, sending infected-attracting bile everywhere. The force of the blast knocked the Hunter off Coach, which was then shot promptly by Edward as Coach stood up. As the entire horde screamed at their new bile-covered targets, Ellis fired a single shot at the Jockey. Eliza stumbled as the infected was hit in the head, the body rolling across the floor and landing near the Witch that started to become rather agitated. Eliza ran away from it as Ellis took aim for the Witch's head.

'Get going!' he ordered. Everyone ran off as the horde began to chase them as Ellis fired at the Witch. As the bullet left his gun, Ellis turned in the direction his friends had gone and ran for his life. Running out of the doorway he was soon chased by the horde that ran past the Witch as it began to scream with anger, running out of the room. The infected on the survivor's heels could have been a serious problem but they were taken out by the Witch that clawed madly at them to get to Ellis. Up ahead the survivors were inside the elevator waiting for Ellis to get to them.

'Close the door!' he cried. Coach waited for a moment before pushing the button to head for the rooftop. Ellis jumped as the doors began to close, just as the Witch made a swipe at him. Ellis went through the doors and landed on the other side as the Witch was met with the cold, closed doors. It screamed and tried to break through the doors, with little success.

As the elevator compartment went up toward the rooftop, the survivors had a look of relief on their faces.

'Good job, kid,' Coach told Ellis, smiling. Ellis was still on the floor. Instead of responding to Coach's compliment, he curled up into a ball. Coach frowned at him. 'Ellis?' Edward knelt down next to him and moved to check Ellis' pulse. As he moved him, a trail of blood trickled out onto the floor. The Witch had clawed Ellis' back as he had jumped, severely wounding him.

'Oh my God...' Eliza gasped. Ruth held her hand to her face as she looked down at Ellis. She felt saddened that someone she did not know had been so gravely injured while trying to save her.

'Is he going to be okay?' Coach asked Edward who was examining Ellis' injuries. 'How does he look?' Edward looked up from Ellis, a grim look on his face.

'Not good,' he said softly. Ellis attempted to move but let out a cry of pain as he hurt himself further. Tears fell down on his face as he began to cry with pain.

'Coach?' Ellis lifted his hand up into the air. It shook uncontrollably. Coach knelt down next to Ellis and took it, holding it tight. He looked down on Ellis as he lay on the ground, weeping. 'Thanks,' Ellis finally told him. Eliza and Ruth exchanged saddened looks.

There came a loud bang on the roof of the elevator compartment. In the shaft, a Spitter had landed on the roof and let out a horrific cry. However before it had a chance to do anything, the elevator began to slow down as it nearly reached the top floor. There was no room for the Spitter on the roof and it was crushed sickeningly as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Edward and Eliza lifted Ellis up and pulled him out of the compartment. They were on the roof of the hospital with Norah and Edward's helicopter stood gloriously waiting for them.

'Go on without me,' Ellis told them.

'Not a chance,' was Eliza's adamant response. Coach went to follow but stopped as he looked back at Ruth who was stood trembling inside the compartment.

'We've not had a proper reunion yet,' he told her. 'I guess it can wait until we get out of here.'

'I was so sure I'd never see you again,' tears fell from Ruth's eyes. 'I was so sure...' Coach stepped back inside and embraced her. 'Don't worry,' he whispered in her ear, placing something in her hand. 'I'll never leave you again.'

A drop of acid fell from the ceiling, landing on Coach's axe and burning through it. The elevator compartment suddenly lurched and the two fell to one side. The Spitter's acid had damaged the elevator. Coach stood up and was able to push Ruth out just as the compartment fell slightly, getting jammed with just enough space for Coach to crawl out of. Ruth, on the rooftop, looked back and saw Coach as he made his way to climb out. However, the entire compartment made a horrible screeching noise and he fell back in just as the entire box began falling back down to the ground at incredible speed.

'No!' Ruth screamed, as Eliza jumped up to hold her back. Coach and the elevator fell toward the ground. Ruth looked away. She then heard the horrible crashing sound, with a bang that shook the entire building. Ruth let out a loud cry, mourning the loss of her beloved. She accidentally dropped what Coach had given her.

The engagement ring fell to the floor.

*

Roughly ten minutes earlier, the survivors had been in the grand reception area of the hospital. While Coach, Ellis and Eliza had sensibly used the elevator to escape the horde of infected that were overwhelming the ground floor, Rochelle and Norah had decided to use the stairs. It was after they had gone past the marker for the seventh floor that Norah began to rethink how sensible it was to use the stairs. Her legs were becoming painfully tired while the infected appeared to have infinite stamina. Rochelle showed no sign of slowing down, either. Noticing her tired companion, Rochelle kicked open the door to the seventh floor and held it open as Norah ran through it. She closed it and looked around, desperate for something to barricade the opening. In the time it took to look around the wards that they had wandered into, infected had already begun to break down the door. Within a matter of moments they would crash through.

'What do we do?' Norah asked. Rochelle's eyes narrowed as she looked at the door. She took out her AK-47 and threw it to Norah, who caught it clumsily. As Norah got used to the weight of the weapon, Rochelle equipped her combat shotgun and took in a deep breath.

'We fight,' she answered her, pumping the gun.

The door burst open and infected flooded the ward. Rochelle fired the opening shot, taking out the first wave of infected. As she recovered from the recoil of the blast, more infected managed to get inside and made things difficult to manage. Norah began firing her gun but found the blast rather strong, making it difficult to aim accurately. Her haphazard shots were able to sever several limbs and help thin the ranks effectively.

Rochelle fired more shots at the incoming infected, slowly stepping away from them as they got closer. She moved past a large gurney. Looking over and seeing Norah clearly out of her depth, she kicked off the brakes on the gurney's wheels and jumped onto the mobile bed. She then pushed herself forward, using the gurney to make a small corridor through the horde where she was able to reach Norah and pull her up to safety.

With a moderate height advantage, Rochelle looked up and saw a ceiling vent right above as the gurney stopped moving. She shot out the vent cover and lifted Norah up to safety. Norah reached down to help Rochelle up but Rochelle winked at her and then jumped off into the horde, kicking the gurney away. Norah was shocked as she saw Rochelle vanish into the mob of infected. There was nothing Norah could do for her now and bitterly she forced herself forward through the cramped vents.

Norah was unsure of where she was going as she pushed on, however she was almost certain that a few minutes in the ventilation system of a hospital would gift her with some sort of disease. As she wondered what she would be afflicted with, be it a common cold or MRSA, Norah suddenly fell forward face first. The curbed corridor's ground suddenly ended and Norah fell through a hole. Screaming as she fell, Norah was certain that this would be the end of her.

In the basement laundry room, Norah fell out of the laundry chute and into a pile of unwashed sheets and garments. Emerging from the mound of dirty fabrics that were surrounded by various insects, Norah attempted to push the thoughts of what she had covering her out of her mind. Instead she attempted to think of something much more pleasant, like what ailments she had picked up inside the vent.

After making her way back up to the reception area, Norah found herself facing the infected once more. They were, however, considerably fewer in numbers and were spread out around the reception. She took the chance to get used to the gun and was able to shoot all of the stay common infected dead with relative ease. It was with the death of the last infected Norah took a breath and winced. She smelt awful. As she took off her jacket, she looked over outside and saw Cybil's body lying on the ground. She wondered who it was that shot her and speculated if they were still out there. Norah was about to move on when she heard a crackling noise come from Cybil's direction.

Intrigued, Norah edged her way close to Cybil and saw what was making the noise; her satellite telephone. Norah grabbed the object that hung from her pocket and held it dearly. As she began to tweak the device's output, she tuned into the channel that the Director and Peter had been conversing on earlier. As she tuned the output, she stopped when she heard people talking. It sounded as if it was a military channel.

'ETA to target, eight minutes,' said the person on the other end. 'Bombs armed and New Orleans is in sight.'

Norah lowered the device as her face fell into a look of pure shock. The Director was going to obliterate New Orleans. He must have discovered that she was close to finding Peter and was prepared to destroy an entire city just to prevent that.

Norah suddenly devoted herself to preventing the airstrike. She tuned the radio function of the telephone and contacted the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln.

'This is United States Secretary of Homeland Security Norah Hanham,' she spoke into the receiver. 'Come in U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln!'

*

Rochelle had seemingly sealed her own fate as she dived into a horde of the infected. There was very little chance that she could survive the onslaught of hundreds of infected each after her blood. However, Rochelle had survived impossible situations before.

Back when she had saved her friends from execution at the hands of Nathan, the frightened leader of a remote community in the middle of the swamp, she had enlisted the help of Mortuus; an assassin who wanted her dead, to help get them out in exchange for going along with him. After the fight and the town had been almost burnt to the ground all that was left were Rochelle and Mortuus standing opposite each other as if they were ready to duel. As ash from the flaming buildings floated through the breeze, Rochelle moved her hand over her holstered weapon to secure her precious video camera to her bag. Mortuus watched her carefully as she moved her fingers, ready to take his own weapon out to shoot her dead. He was quicker and stronger than she was. After the fight they had had in the plantation house earlier that day, it was clear that Mortuus had the advantage. He was cautious and was not about to let Rochelle get the better of him by either catching him off guard or deceiving him.

'Can't be forgetting this now, can we?' Rochelle eyed Mortuus narrowly. As she spoke, she implied that she was talking about the camera but her hands were now behind her back, brushing against the last Bile bomb that they had conducted to lure the infected to somewhere they wanted. However, as she thought of her plan of using the bomb against him, Rochelle decided to move her hands away from her body and lift them into the air.

'So what are you going to do now, then?' she asked.

'Do you find it amusing?' Mortuus asked her.

'Do I find what amusing?'

'The fact that the village idiot leader was so adamant that all your friends were government spies when the real spy is standing right in front of me?'

'It's hilarious,' Rochelle remarked sarcastically.

'Alright perhaps ironic would be a better word,' Mortuus mused. 'Anyway, to the point; I can't exactly trust that you'll come along with me quietly.'

'You can't trust my word?' Rochelle asked.

'The only reason I did all of this was because I needed your camera,' Mortuus told her. 'You have something on there that does not belong to you and it needs to be retrieved. I have no idea why you cared so much about helping your friends.'

'To tell you the truth I was counting on you being shot dead during the raid,' Rochelle spoke nonchalantly. Her expression turned into one of seriousness. She lowered her head and looked up at Mortuus menacingly. 'I guess I'll just have to do it.'

'You know as well as I do that you'll be dead before you get your hand on your weapon,' Mortuus told her.

'Because of that whole confidence bull you were talking about earlier?'

'Yes,' Mortuus said softly, stepping toward a motionless Rochelle. 'Confidence will undo talent and skill.'

'I don't agree,' Rochelle shrugged as Mortuus closed the gap between them.

'Over confidence will make you sloppy, carless and vulnerable,' Mortuus told her.

'There is often a reason why people would get to that state,' Rochelle whispered to him as he got closer. 'It's because they're better than everyone else.'

'Until they are taken down.'

'By someone who is better than they are.' As Rochelle finished speaking, Mortuus took another step closer to her. With that step, Rochelle slammed her foot on top of his and pivoted around his body faster than he could react. Mortuus reached for his weapon as Rochelle flowed around him but found his holster empty. Rochelle had taken his magnum and stuffed it into his back as she moved. Standing on the tips of her toes, 'This is an example of that.'

Rochelle then pulled the trigger eight times. Eight powerful magnum bullets shot through Mortuus' chest into the air. As the metal tore him apart, his let out a final breath, one of defeat, and fell dead. Rochelle dropped his gun and allowed his body to collapse to the ground. Walking away from Mortuus' corpse, Rochelle took out the Bile bomb and readied it. She used it just before she got out of the clearing by the plantation house, to draw the infected out, making it seem as if she had caught a lucky break when dealing with Mortuus.

However Rochelle was no longer in the possession of any Bile bombs, nor did she have any help. As the infected swarmed around her, it should have been the end for her. Pushing the muzzle of the shotgun to the floor, Rochelle used it as support as she ran in a circle, lifting herself up and extending her leg, kicking back the advancing infected with one swoop. As she slowed down, she pulled the trigger, sending her flying backward slightly and pushing past the infected. With a better aiming position in the corner of the room, surrounded by glass windows, Rochelle blasted away the infected that ran for her, reloading after each shot.

It was then she saw the sea of infected being parted by a Charger making its way for her. Rochelle jumped up and kicked herself off from the glass window as the Charger ran through it. She narrowly missed being pushed out of the window and landed with a roll. Standing up from her kneeling position, Rochelle continued to shoot away the infected with determination.

*

Admiral Richard Jaeger had been summoned to the bridge of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln to deal with an extremely sensitive situation, or so he had been told. He did not appreciate the distraction as he had important things to be attending to. Four new survivors had just landed onboard showing no signs of infection. However the Director of CEDA, Avery Ingram, insisted that they were a threat and needed to be removed. Jaeger had a terrible feeling about it as he stepped on the bridge but was forced to suppress it for now. He would not take any action against the survivors until he had a chance to speak to them first. The girl, Zoey, had apparently met his son not too long ago and he wanted to find out the details of how he had died. Therefore he hoped the pressing situation would not take too long to resolve.

'The Secretary of Defence is contacting us, Admiral,' one of his crew told him. Jaeger knew right then and there that things would not wrap up smoothly for him. Moving over to the radio, Jaeger spoke slightly uncertainly.

'Madam Secretary,' he said, 'it's good to see that you're doing alright.'

'Forgive me for getting straight to the point, Admiral,' Norah spoke hurriedly. 'It is my understanding that you are in command of the naval rescue efforts.'

'That's correct,' Jaeger told her.

'Have some of your planes been launched recently?'

'Yes,' Jaeger frowned. 'We're trying to sterilize certain zones.'

'You need to stop the operation in New Orleans,' Norah instructed.

'The Director of CEDA has taken control, Ms Hanham, you know that.'

'You need to stop the bombing run!' Norah cried. 'I am in New Orleans and we have evidence on site that reveals that the Director is responsible for these catastrophic events.'

Admiral Jaeger's eyes widened as he heard the news. There was a brief moment of silence on the bridge.

'No one leaves this room,' Jaeger told his crew. 'Abort all bombing operations.'

'Thank you, Admiral,' Norah sighed. As she was about to continue talking, the phone made a loud static sound and she dropped it with shock. As Norah went to lift the device from the floor, she saw two long shadows of people approaching her. They were Zach and James.

'Deal with her,' Zach ordered, stepping past Norah. James suddenly moved toward Norah and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air as Zach entered an elevator. Norah's legs dangled as she hung in the air, choking.

Controlling her legs, Norah sent her foot shooting into James' groin. His grip tightened with his pain but he lowered Norah to the ground. She was able to jam her thumb into his eye and break his grip, moving away from him. Angry, James stormed after Norah as she aimed her weapon at him. With ease he was able to knock it away and punch her in the head, knocking her to the ground, unconscious. He stepped over her menacingly.

Meanwhile just outside of New Orleans, two fighter planes were hastily approaching their target. Their radios suddenly burst into life.

'This is Admiral Jaeger; abort mission. I repeat, abort mission.'

'I'm sorry, sir,' said one of the pilots, 'we're under the orders of Director Avery Ingram.'

'I don't care who you report to,' Jaeger spoke angrily. 'You took off from my ship so you will obey my orders.'

'With all due respect, sir,' the pilot spoke but Jaeger interrupted him.

'You listen to me,' he hissed, 'you disengage right now or you won't have a ship to come back to, do you understand? I will shoot you out of the sky myself.' The two pilots considered their options. They were now over New Orleans and were approaching the hospital, their target. All they had to do was push a single button to launch a missile at it.

The two jets flew past the building just as Nick and Peter broke through the glass window and rolled down the sloping glass.

On the bridge, Jaeger took a sigh of relief. However he was acting premature as the Director had just stepped onto the bridge, a look of irritation on his face.

'You've not taken care of those four survivors below decks, I can see,' the Director commented.

'That's correct,' Jaeger told him. 'And now I am undermining your authority.' He smiled cheekily at him. 'I think it's time I get back in control of this operation.'

'You think wrong, Admiral,' the Director spoke with suppressed anger. He put his hand on his shoulder and forced him off the bridge. 'We will talk later.'

The Director then hailed the fighter jets once more.

'This is the Director,' he said. 'I want you to destroy that building!'

The fighter jets made wide separate turns and then faced the same way, heading back toward the building. The target was soon locked and they prepared to fire the missiles. The Director smiled a satisfied grin as he heard the pilots report that they launched the missiles.

They pushed the button.

At the same time, James stood right over Norah's unconscious body, aiming his gun at her head. Coach had just fallen along with the elevator compartment and was nearly crashed on the ground. Rochelle had confronted Nick with her gun, demanding he hand her the briefcase he stole from Peter.

Then the bombs hit and several explosions tore through the building.


	12. Chapter 12

12. The Passing Part Three

The building was still standing.

Despite four separate missiles being launched into it from the passing fighter jets, the structure was still stood tall. However the damage was considerable.

Several sections of floors had been blown away. Nearly all of the glass from the windows had shattered. Several unstable areas were already collapsing. The building was still standing but not for much longer.

The first bomb impacted the middle area of the building. The explosion sound was the bang Ruth had heard while she was mourning the loss of Coach on the rooftop. In actual fact, the bomb detonated in the centre of the building just as the falling elevator compartment holding Coach fell past it. The force of the explosion and the power of the shockwave made the compartment crash through the elevator shaft and hurtled through the building, coming to a stop just before the edge of the floor. As Coach got to his feet inside the elevator compartment, he appreciated the irony of a bomb saving his life.

As the elevator compartment crashed through the building, the other three missiles exploded around the building. In the reception area, James looked over Norah's unconscious body and prepared to shoot her in the head. The bang that echoed through the reception did not come from his gun but from the exploding missile nearby. The elaborate sloped glass decorative wall shattered and shards hurtled to the ground. James turned around and looked up in time to see an enormous splinter of glass impale itself into his face, tearing out the back of his head and sending blood everywhere while knocking him back and landing on top of Norah. His corpse protected her from the falling glass and as everything settled, her eyes opened and she pushed him off hurriedly. As Norah retrieved her AK-47, she noticed that there was not a single scratch on her body.

Just above, Nick and Rochelle stumbled forward to each other as the shockwave tore through the building. The glass above them shattered and fell, causing Nick to spin and push Rochelle out of the way while jumping backward as a massive chunk of glass crashed in between them, sending splinters everywhere. Nick's face was cut slightly as he staggered back, now standing where Rochelle had been. They had swapped positions and Rochelle glanced back at Peter who was lying on the ground on the balcony behind her. A large shard of glass had got him in the stomach and he was bleeding heavily. Peter glanced over and saw his handgun a little bit away. He tried to reach for it but found it too painful to move. Rochelle looked back at Nick and raised her gun at him once more.

'What are you doing?' he asked her.

'My job,' Rochelle answered cryptically.

'What does that mean?' Nick shrugged.

'Stop asking questions and just hand it over!'

'I don't believe this...' Nick sighed, feeling betrayed by Rochelle and angry toward Peter who had proven him wrong. 'Peter was right about everything...'

'What did he say?' Rochelle asked.

'What does that matter?' Nick replied harshly. 'Need to maintain your cover for the Director?'

'If I worked for the Director why would I steal what he wants from his own agent?'

'Who do you work for, then?' Nick questioned.

'CEDA isn't the only organisation interested in this flu,' Rochelle informed him enigmatically. 'I work for an agency that has invested a great deal in studying this virus and attempting to obtain a sample of it that doesn't break down as soon as it has left the host body.'

'Why?' Nick asked.

'The politics is no concern of mine,' Rochelle told him.

'So, what? You're just the brainless muscle?'

'In a manner of speaking,' Rochelle nodded. 'I was part of a team investigating the several focal points across the country where the Director had released the virus. A man I worked with was able to obtain a preserved sample of the virus, something which has never been done before. We secured it in that briefcase you're holding along with all of the information research that was collected and the evidence that CEDA was responsible for the outbreak. I personally found that and kept a copy on the memory card in my camera.'

'Why would you need evidence against CEDA?' Nick questioned.

'When your adversary has almost single handily decimated the whole of the United States it helps to have an ace up your sleeve to turn the tables.'

'I can't believe this, Ro...' Nick suddenly choked back emotion, his hands trembling slightly. 'You were using me just to get to my father?'

'I would have found Peter anyway,' Rochelle told him. Her face showed for a brief moment an upset look. 'I found you because you and he were responsible for killing my teammate and taking the case. I then attempted to subtly encourage you to want to find Peter.'

'You used us!' Nick cried. 'You used me! Our friendship; everything, it's all just one big God damn lie, isn't it?'

'That's why I told you to leave without me,' Rochelle yelled back, becoming passionate. 'I didn't want to hurt you. Despite everything I do like you and Coach and Ellis. I don't want to hurt you. I wanted you to escape. I didn't want to drag you all into this.'

'I find that hard to believe,' Nick muttered.

'You wouldn't listen,' Rochelle told him. 'You wouldn't leave me.'

'That's because I...' Nick stopped himself from speaking, the tip of pushed to the roof of his mouth forming a word beginning with "L". He composed himself. 'That's because _we_ are a team. We help each other.'

'Then help me,' Rochelle pleaded. 'Give me the case.'

'And then what?' Nick asked. 'I'll never see you again?' Rochelle did not answer his question. Instead she stared at him with very emotional, wet eyes.

'Just hand it over!' she ordered. 'Don't make me shoot you!'

'You're not going to do that,' Nick shook his head. He stepped forward one pace. 'No matter what has happened, even if it has all been a lie, I still care about you.'

'Don't move!' Rochelle cried.

'Don't tell me what to do!' Nick shouted back. 'You're not going to shoot me.'

'I will if you don't hand over that case right now.'

'Do it then!'

'I will!'

'Then shoot me!' Nick shouted louder than he had ever shouted before in his life. 'If you don't care, if this was all just a lie if you don't love me then shoot me right now!'

Rochelle stepped forward, her hand still and her eyes determined. She blocked everything out of her mind. She tried to squeeze the trigger but found it difficult. Her finger trembled, her forehead was damp with sweat and her breathing was halted as she held her breath, trying with all her might to pull the trigger. With Nick stood as an easy target in front of her, she used all of her strength to pull the trigger. She found it so hard, as if she was trying a push a car up a steep hill on her own. She was desperate to shoot him. She had to shoot him.

Tears fell from her eyes and streaked down her face. Rochelle let out a wail as she lowered her gun and leant against the side of the walkway rail. Nick let out a sigh of relief. Rochelle stood there, weeping. She threw the gun over the side of the rail and stood feebly in front of Nick. He placed the case down next to him, freeing his hands. He moved forward slowly to embrace her. Rochelle also stepped forward to go into Nick's arms.

There was a gunshot and a bullet shot into Rochelle's back. She let out a cry of pain, spitting blood onto Nick's white suit and collapsed, spinning as she fell. Just behind her, Peter was lying blood soaked on the floor, aiming his gun at her. Nick caught Rochelle in his arms and pulled out his gun and shot Peter three times, making him drop his gun and lie still. Nick stumbled back as he tried to support Rochelle, kicking the case over and opening it. Resting her on the catwalk, he brushed the hair from her bloody face.

'Rochelle?' his voice was flimsy and creaky. 'No, Rochelle! No, no, no!'

'I've survived worse,' Rochelle told him, before a severe fit of coughing. She was bleeding heavily. Nick took off his suit jacket and wrapped the arms tight around her bullet wound, causing Rochelle to cry out in pain. He looked over to the open case and then to Rochelle. The building was crumbling all around them and they needed to get out. He could not carry both Rochelle and the case.

Not taking a single moment to decide what to do, Nick lifted Rochelle into his arms and began running down the catwalk, leaving the open briefcase behind.

*

The elevator compartment was on its side, with Coach looking at what used to be the ceiling. It was now a wall that had just fallen off and fell down the side of the building. Climbing out and hanging onto the edge, Coach jumped through the broken window and landed on the floor below. Cautiously, he made his way over the unstable floor and arrived in a corridor. One of the doors burst open and Nick ran inside holding Rochelle.

'What the hell happened?' Coach asked, looking at Rochelle.

'We just need to get out of here, fast!' Nick cried. With that, the two men began making their way to the bottom of the building. They had just made it to the stairwell when they were greeted with gunfire. Zach was shooting at them from the floor below in the stairwell. Coach and Nick took cover.

'We could go up?' Coach suggested. 'We can't storm him, we'd be dead. Plus the others are up there with the chopper.'

'I don't reckon they'd be hanging around,' Nick theorised. 'Plus we can't take Rochelle all the way up there.

'The Director wants your blood!' Zach cried tauntingly.

'Oh yeah?' said a female voice from below. Zach looked down and saw Norah who had snuck up on him. 'Tell him to pick a number.' She unloaded an entire magazine of AK bullets into Zach, only letting go of the trigger when the gun went empty. Coach and Nick looked out of their hiding spot. Norah winked at them. 'Got him that time.'

*

The rest of the building was slowly falling to pieces and Edward was preparing to fly away. Eliza was tending to Ellis' wounds.

'We need to get him help, fast!' she told Edward.

'We've not built up enough speed to take off, yet!' he informed her. Just with that, the entire rooftop tilted to one side. The helicopter began sliding across the roof as the building slowly leant over, with upper segments crumbling away causing further damage and the tilt to worsen. 'Shit!' Edward spat.

Lower down as everything shook violently, the walkway where Nick and Rochelle had just been collapsed. The case was still on it and it tumbled to the ground.

However, the virus sample was not in it.

Running through reception, Coach, Nick, Rochelle and Norah narrowly avoided being crushed by the falling walkway and made it outside. They looked back and saw the tilting building. The top suddenly gave way and chunks of concrete and metal fell to the ground. On the roof, the helicopter's rotors were not spinning fast enough to maintain flight as it fell. Ruth screamed as Edward attempted to control the fall. The helicopter fell past the balcony where Peter was lying in a pool of his own blood, breathing heavily. In one hand was the vial that contained the virus sample.

It was empty.

With a loud crash, the top of the building impacted the ground and the helicopter was soon to follow. Edward pulled the nose of the helicopter up as they neared the ground, the rotors being torn off by the building just opposite the hospital where Zach and James had been monitoring the events. With a loud thud, the helicopter crashed on the ground and skidded to a grinding halt. Coach and the others saw the crash and ran to see if anyone had survived.

As they approached it, the door was kicked off its hinges and Edward stepped out, holding Ellis in his arms. Eliza and Ruth joined him outside. In a jovial moment, the survivors ran to each other and tenderly embraced.

'We have wounded!' Nick broke up the reunion promptly. 'We need to get Rochelle and Ellis out of here now.'

'Well we have no way of leaving New Orleans!' Eliza pointed out. Edward looked up at the building he had nearly crashed into.

'You know I thought I saw a chopper on there,' he mused.

On the rooftop of the building, Edward was preparing Zach and James' helicopter for flight. Rochelle and Ellis were already inside being tended to by Eliza and Norah. Coach and Nick were stood outside talking while Ruth looked through Zach and James' belongings. She found a similar device they had used to attract the infected with sound.

'Do you reckon they'll be alright?' Nick asked Coach.

'We need to get them out of here, now,' Coach told him. 'Or else there's no chance.' Ruth loaded some supplies onto the helicopter and Coach and Nick soon boarded. Then the vehicle lifted up into the air and soared majestically over New Orleans. Norah gave Edward the position of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and they were soon headed on their way.

Back on the balcony, Peter's body began to gently twitch. The twitches became more frequent and then violent. He let out a scream of agony as his body began to suffer a seizure. He writhed on the floor, bashing his head on the ground forcefully. His shoulder blades began to enlarge and tore from his clothes. His shoes ripped and split, revealing claw-like feet. He extended his arms outward to the side and as the rest of his clothes tore apart, soon saw that his arms and large shoulders were connected to each other. They appeared to be forming wings. As his transformation continued, Peter was able to stand and let out an inhuman cry. He then fell off the balcony and hurtled to the ground.

With the use of his wings, Peter pushed himself up through the air and began soaring through the sky. He followed the trail of the survivors.

The survivors were just under ten minutes away from the aircraft carrier, feeling confident. Just then, a massive gust of wind jolted the helicopter, knocking them off course.

'What the hell was that?' Ruth voiced the question on everyone's mind. Nick looked out of the window and saw an infected he had never seen before; the Soarer. The Soarer pushed its wings together, sending a powerful blast of air at the helicopter, knocking it around in the air. The door opened and Nick fell from his seat and through the air. Eliza screamed as she saw him fall to the ground.

Peter, the Soarer, also saw Nick fall and swooped down through the air and caught him. As the helicopter changed course, the Soarer threw Nick onto the rooftop of a building. The coast was visible just in the distance, not that Nick was looking at that. He saw the frightening new infected. He was even more frightened when he saw that the mutated face was that of his father.

'Oh, Peter,' Nick sighed. The Soarer let out a loud cry, deafening Nick. He could not hear as the ringing in his ears lasted for a moment. He took out his submachine gun and used all of the bullets in the magazine against the beast. When that gun was out of ammunition, he simply threw it away and used his M-16. The Soarer was nimble and dodged the shots easily. It opened its arms wide and pushed them together, sending another gust of air toward Nick, knocking him off his feet. The infected moved to try and pick him up once more but Edward arrived, bashing it away with the side of the helicopter. Coach and Ruth leant out of the helicopter. Coach fired his grenade launcher at the Soarer while Ruth threw Nick the device that emitted an infected attracting sound. As the Soarer stumbled across around the edge of the roof Nick ran up to it, the device in his hand and threw it at the infected.

'Say hi to mom for me, _dad_,' Nick muttered as the device sunk into the Soarer's flesh and made the loud noise. As the Soarer crashed on the ground, it convulsed as numerous infected swarmed all over it, promptly tearing it apart. Nick let out a satisfied sigh and looked back at the helicopter. Coach extended his hand as they got close and pulled Nick onboard.

With that, they continued heading for the aircraft carrier, leaving the infection far behind.

During the rest of the flight, the eight survivors had a chance to reflect on what had happened.

'It's been a hell of a couple of weeks,' Norah told Edward who chuckled, looking over at her.

'Couldn't have done it without you,' he told her. Norah smiled and held his hand.

'I couldn't have done it without _you_,' she told him.

Meanwhile, Coach and Ruth were sat together. She was resting her head on his shoulder.

'I'm going to do things right this time,' Coach told her. 'For you and the baby.'

'I'm just glad you found me,' Ruth told him. 'I guess someone's looking out for us.' Nick was sat with the unconscious Ellis and Rochelle. He stroked Rochelle's cheek while Eliza tested Ellis' pulse.

'They're getting weaker,' she told Nick.

'They have to pull through,' Nick sighed. 'They just have to.'

'Whatever happens,' Eliza told him, taking his hand. 'We can handle it together.' Nick did not respond to her and simply hung his head.

As Ellis dreamt while unconscious, he found himself stood opposite Keith. Ellis was in the same position when he saw Keith back in the remote town, holding a gun under his chin with Keith, ready to pull the trigger. This time, however, Keith pulled the gun away from Ellis and threw it away, winking at him. Ellis smiled as he saw Keith turn around and walk off into the distance. Just ahead was Jimmy Gibbs Jr. who put his arm around Keith as they walked away.

'Son,' Jimmy spoke to Keith softy as they faded away, 'do you know what "suck the heads" means?'

Rochelle had her own dreams as she slept. She saw Nick standing in front of her, smiling. Then, with a single gunshot, his body shattered as if it were glass and fell away. Rochelle started crying and fell to her knees. She felt alone. She was alone.

It was a time of reflection as the helicopter approached the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln for all of the survivors. Norah and Edward reflected on their friendship and how it had come through the whole ordeal stronger than ever, while Rochelle's actions could ensure that she would be alone forever. Nick had realised that he did not need to be alone to get through life, but as Eliza held his hand tenderly, wondered if she was the one he wanted to be with. Coach appreciated the second chance he had got with Ruth and vowed to learn from his past mistakes and grow from them, while all Ellis learnt was that there was nothing more valuable than friendship and teamwork.

The need for other people was made abundantly clear when the helicopter flew over the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln's wreckage. It had been destroyed and sunk before they had arrived. However, nearby there were lifeboats heading to one direction. A cruise ship was positioned a little further ahead and the survivors were granted permission to land on it.

The ship was incredibly huge. To the front were several landed helicopters and other military vehicles. All over the vessel there were people who had been rescued. As Edward landed the helicopter neatly, the survivors jumped out and called for immediate medical assistance. Ellis and Rochelle were hooked up to heart rate monitors and pulled away while the others watched. As soon as Rochelle was taken away, her monitor began flat lining. Nick watched in sickening worry as the medical team attempted to revive her.

They attempted to do so for five minutes...

Ellis was taken away, his injuries treated seriously. The doctors were not optimistic about his condition until a young man named Louis, who was being treated for his own injuries, offered to donate his blood for Ellis. As soon as Louis' blood entered Ellis' veins, he stabilized and was expected to recover fully within a matter of days, much to the shock of the doctors. Rochelle did not come out of the operating room at all.

Some time had passed on and it was night. Nick was leaning over the edge of the guard rails, looking down at the dark ocean water. Eliza soon joined him, leaning on the rails next to him.

'It's been quite an adventure,' she broke the silence. The sound of the waves and wind were almost mystifying and hypnotic.

'Yes, it has,' Nick agreed. He was holding his white jacket in his hand, the one he had tied around Rochelle to stop her bleeding. He was staring at it with a look of pain in his eye.

'It's not your fault,' Eliza held his arm tenderly.

'Yes it is,' Nick sighed. Eliza swallowed hard and shook her head gently.

'You know I thought that...' she paused and then decided to change what she was saying. 'It doesn't matter. What matters is that we are here now, right? You and me?' Nick was unresponsive.

'Nick,' Eliza sighed, making him look at her. 'Are you in love with her?' Nick looked into Eliza's eyes.

'I'm sorry,' he told her. Eliza closed her eyes but a small smile formed on her face.

'It's alright,' she told him. 'Really it is. You're still coping with what happened to her... I know I won't win.'

'Yeah,' Nick sighed.

'Just do one thing for me, yeah?' Eliza pointed at something. 'Tell her.'

Nick looked over and saw Rochelle holding a walking stick, moving across the deck. Nick sighed and looked back as Eliza walked off into the distance.

'I'll catch you later, big man,' she told him. Nick made his way over to Rochelle. He stepped close to her, under the watchful eye of an armed soldier.

'How are you doing?' he asked her.

'I'll live,' she told him. 'The only reason I'm keeping this cane is because it makes me look pathetic. I'll need all the help I can get to avoid being arrested.'

'I don't see why you'd be arrested,' Nick leant on the rails. 'It's not as if you...'

'Corporate espionage?' Rochelle interrupted him. 'Fraud? Identity theft? Come on, Nick. They'll put me away.' Nick went silent while Rochelle sighed. 'But I'm alright with that.'

'Really?'

'Well I've done some bad things,' she told him. 'I need to make amends. I need to pay for what I've done.'

'It's not as if you're responsible for the whole virus,' Nick insisted but Rochelle shook her head.

'Look, we're not going to have a whole lot of time,' she said. 'Let's talk about something else.'

'Alright,' Nick stepped close to her and put his hands on her shoulders. 'Back when you were shot... I just... I couldn't think. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you.'

'Even though you don't really know who I am?' Rochelle joked.

'I knew you wouldn't shoot me,' Nick told her. 'I know that you wanted to risk your life to save Ellis. I know you went with Coach to do something that was important to him.' He squeezed her shoulders gently. 'I know that you've changed me, Ro.' Rochelle blushed and smiled. She moved forward into Nick's embrace and appreciated the warmth of his body. He smelt awful as he had not showered in days but Rochelle did not care. She was just happy to be in his arms. Rochelle's thoughts of the future and the past had vanished. There was only right now. Nothing else mattered.

*

Elsewhere on the cruise ship, Norah Hanham and Richard Jaeger met in a conference room. There was a large television screen on one of the walls that was showing the global position of the cruise ship. They were still off the coast of America.

'We need to talk about the Director,' Jaeger told her.

'He is a menace,' Norah said passionately. 'A threat to the entire world. We need to find him and bring him to justice.'

'It won't be that simple,' Jaeger raised his hand. 'We both know what he has done but the evidence of his guilt was lost back in New Orleans. We need a different strategy to bring him down.'

'I'm open to suggestions,' Norah leant back in her chair.

'We picked up four survivors just before the Director destroyed the Abraham Lincoln,' Jaeger explained. 'They're called Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey. They each seem highly adept at combat.'

'So are Coach, Nick, Ellis and Rochelle,' Norah told Jaeger while at the same time, Zoey was walking across the deck of the ship and noticed someone she thought looked familiar. In a shocked state, Zoey ran up to Rochelle.

'Is it really you?' Zoey asked her.

'Oh my God, Zoey!' Rochelle cried. 'I thought you were dead!'

'I thought you were dead!' Zoey chuckled, glancing over to Nick. 'Hey, have we met before?'

'This is spooky,' Nick muttered.

Back in the conference room, Norah held her hand up.

'We're not using these civilians to fight,' she told him.

'From what I hear, Rochelle is a spy working for one of CEDA's competitors.'

'We're not using them,' Norah was firm.

'Look, I know Avery Ingram,' Jaeger spoke candidly. 'He will hide behind CEDA. When he does that he will be untouchable. We need to think about this another way.' He and Norah thought for a moment. Their brainstorm was interrupted as the image on the monitor turned into one of the Director, grinning at them.

'Hello Madam Secretary,' he spoke to Norah before nodding to Jaeger. 'Admiral. It is so nice to see you all again.'

'How the hell did you get access to this channel?' Jaeger asked. 'I promise you this, Avery, I am going to hang your ass out!'

'I'm so delighted to hear that you two made it out alive,' the Director spoke with a false smile. 'And how you masterfully destroyed all of my plans.'

'Your scheme was evil,' Norah spoke up. 'It needed to be stopped.'

'You,' the Director said angrily to her. 'How did you manage to destroy everything I had worked for?'

'You were flawed,' she answered plainly. 'In so many ways.'

'That's nonsense,' the Director spat.

'No it's not, it's the truth!' Norah insisted. 'Do you know what the biggest flaw in your whole evil plan was, Director? You based it around a _fucking_ zombie apocalypse!'

'I wanted to save the world and you have ensured that more people will die in order to achieve my goals, staring with that spy you were working with.'

'Rochelle?' Norah asked.

'Yes,' the Director nodded. 'Then I will take out the rest of you and then I will save the world from its own stupidity!' The Director began to laugh menacingly as Norah and Jaeger exchanged glances.

Outside, some soldiers interrupted Nick, Rochelle and Zoey by forcing Rochelle away by gunpoint. They pulled her inside, leaving Nick and Zoey watching hopelessly. Norah disconnected the Director's transmission and looked at Jaeger.

'This is no longer a vendetta for justice,' she told him. 'This is war.'


	13. Chapter 13

13. The Passing

Norah Hanham ran through the corridors of the cruise ship, searching desperately for Rochelle. She called out her name as she looked down hallways and poked her head through doors but each time received no answer. This was because Rochelle was being dragged below decks to the isolation room. Inside the room was a single wooden chair that she was forced to sit in. Handcuffs secured her to the chair and she could not move. She glanced around the room before the soldiers left her alone. It was a perfectly square room with no windows and if the walls were padded, could pass easily for a secure cell in a psychiatric hospital. With a loud, echoing clang, the door slammed shut and Rochelle heard it lock tight. Then the lights went out and she was left alone in the darkness.

Nick and Zoey were left standing on the outer deck, silent at what they had witnessed. They had attempted to stop the soldiers from taking Rochelle away but were stopped by reinforcements who threatened to arrest them if they had continued. Now that they were alone, the two were taking in what had just happened. Norah looked down on them from a higher deck and called out to Nick.

'Where's Rochelle?' she asked him. Nick replied by giving her a grim look.

*

The Director had just made things personal, for all of the survivors. Inside the conference room, Norah assembled Coach and Nick, Ellis and Edward while Richard Jaeger brought in Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey. Aside from surviving the infection, there was one thing that the survivors had in common; the Director. After they had all been introduced to each other, Norah and Jaeger began to explain the reason for them being there.

'We are in a serious bind,' Norah told them. 'The Director is a threat not just to us but to the entire planet.'

'Miss,' Bill raised his hand to interrupt. 'We were on that aircraft carrier when he tried to kill us God knows how many times so we understand he's a bad man.' He took out a cigarette. 'Anyone mind if I smoke?'

'Well, actually I...' Edward started but Bill gave him a stern look and he stopped talking, shrinking away sheepishly.

'Good,' Bill put lit the end of the cigarette as he put it in his mouth.

'We need a plan to stop him,' Norah continued. 'He has made it perfectly clear that he plans on murdering us all for ruining his plans so rather than run, the Admiral and I have decided to face him head on.'

'I think we need a plan to rescue Rochelle,' Nick voiced the shared opinion of him, Coach and Ellis.

'I agree,' Norah nodded. 'She's in the brig right now, below decks. She's guarded by CEDA soldiers.'

'I ain't being funny or nothin',' Ellis spoke up, 'but if the Director wanted her dead then why is he keepin' her alive? It don' make no sense.'

'He's got a point,' Zoey agreed. 'I mean why risk her breaking out? Why not just throw her overboard or something? It'd be easier.'

'The Director released a devastating virus throughout America,' Edward said, 'in the hopes that it would save more lives in the long run. I think it's safe to say he doesn't really do "easy".'

'How can we stop him if he's that powerful?' Francis voiced a very valid opinion. 'I mean I'm not saying I don't want to try but how can nine people bring down the leader of an evil mega corporation?'

'Ten,' Louis interrupted. Francis gave him a questioning glance. 'There are ten people in this room. Hell, I'm gonna have to teach you how to count!'

'There's eleven of us if you count Rochelle,' Zoey added.

'But she's not here,' Louis told her.

'Well we need to save her!' Zoey cried. 'I owe it to her.'

'Any friend of Zoey's is a friend of ours, Louis,' Bill told him.

'Look we're not questioning whether or not we're going to try and help Rochelle,' Jaeger spoke assumingly, putting Nick's mind at ease. 'However, we're going to need to formulate a plan because once all this happens we'll be targets for CEDA.'

'Rochelle was only taken away because she was actively working against the Director,' Norah explained. 'While he threatened that we would be next, right now she is his only concern.'

'So what do we do?' Coach shrugged.

There was a silence in the room.

'What can we do?' Nick wondered.

'We can survive,' Zoey told him, looking up to him. They exchanged glances for a moment.

'That's it!' Nick slammed his fists on the table and stood up, causing Ellis and Zoey to flinch. Bill merely flicked some ash off his cigarette. He was using a CEDA mug as an ashtray. 'We can survive!'

'Son, are you on crack?' Bill asked him sounding vaguely serious.

'No, what I mean is; what's another thing we all share that we also share with everyone on board the ship?' Nick spoke excitedly but no one answered his question.

'We had our guns taken from us?' Ellis offered.

'No!' Nick exclaimed before rolling his eyes. 'Alright, yes, but something else! We all share the same will to survive; that desire to keep living when everyone around us fell.'

'Okay,' Norah folded her arms, thinking. 'Where are you going with this?'

'What happens if we unleashed a mini zombie outbreak onboard here?' Nick suggested.

'No way,' Edward gasped.

'Hey, suit,' Bill referred to Nick, leaning over the table with the cigarette firmly held in his fingers. 'We went through that shit on Navy boy's boat,' he nodded to Jaeger. 'It didn't go so well.' He pushed the cigarette face onto the table, stubbing it out while looking at Nick.

'I don't mean actually put zombies on board!' Nick insisted. 'That'd be crazy.'

'We can't have crazy,' Ellis muttered.

'No,' Nick went on, 'what I mean is that we go to the bridge and trigger an alarm to panic everyone. There will be a lot of commotion and we will be able to go below decks and rescue Rochelle.'

'That doesn't sound like a completely crap idea,' Francis nodded his head slowly.

'One problem, though,' Louis was hesitant to bring it up. 'How do we get off the ship then? We'd all be fugitives.'

'Only the people who pull the alarm would be fugitives,' Norah corrected him. 'Similarly only the people who break Rochelle out would be targeted.' There was another silence. 'This is the time for sacrifices now,' she spoke carefully after a moment. 'The Director will be after all of us but those who interfere on this ship will be targeted heavily. We won't be able to get to safety.'

'What are you saying?' Jaeger asked.

'We will split into two teams,' Norah sighed. 'Team One will go to wherever this ship is going and be free. Team Two, will have to go back to America.'

'We're not leaving you for dead!' Zoey stood up.

'I'm not saying that you should,' Norah gave her a sly look. 'Going back will ensure the Director has the littlest chance of finding us. You can come pick us up when the heat dies down.'

'Norah that could take years,' Jaeger told her.

'It'll take as long as it takes. Coach,' Norah looked at him, Nick and Ellis. 'I will join you in rescuing Rochelle.'

'I want to come to,' Edward told her.

'You need to go back to civilization,' Norah told him. 'We need as many people as we can get in government to fight for good.'

The plan was decided. Norah would join Coach, Nick, Ellis and after she was rescued, Rochelle in returning to the United States while Jaeger, Edward, Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey would become refugees and fight their fight to bring down the Director. They then began to plan their master plan. They were going to bring the fight to the Director.

*

Ruth was standing at the rear of the cruise ship, looking over the edge. The white trail the vessel's wake drifted outward as if they were two arms opening wide to say goodbye to the country that everyone onboard had left behind. Behind her were several parked military helicopters with a small team of people working on them. Walking in between one of the helicopters was Coach. He saw Ruth standing there, looking dazzling in the glowing moonlight. He did not feel the same sensation of happiness, the marvel of glee that they were together again. All he felt right now was dread, fear and a heavy, sickening paralysis that was difficult to overcome. He approached her with a dry mouth, sweaty brow and gently trembling arms.

'Hey,' Coach announced his presence, causing Ruth to turn and smile at him.

'Hey,' she repeated, her smile fading somewhat as she saw how awful Coach looked. 'Are you alright?'

'Not really,' Coach said truthfully, running his tongue over his dry lips. 'We need to talk.'

'That's always bad news,' Ruth sighed, leaning against the railings with her back. 'What's on your mind?' Coach paused for a moment, looking out at the ocean briefly before gazing back into her eyes.

'You are,' he told her. Ruth cracked a faint smile and Coach sighed, running his hand over his weary face. He placed his hands on the rails and looked out to sea once more, taking a deep breath before speaking. 'When I thought you had died, the only thing on my mind was... well; what if? What if I hadn't done this or that, what if things had turned out differently. What if I had another chance.'

'Well we both got that chance,' Ruth touched his arm tenderly.

'Not that I'm here,' Coach continued, 'now that you're here, now that I can look at you and touch you the same thing is going through my mind; what if?'

'What if what?' Ruth asked, confused. Coach swallowed hard.

'What happens if I stay with you?' A tear fell down Coach's face.

'I don't get it,' Ruth stepped close to him.

'I can't handle losing you again,' Coach told her. 'And as much as I want to protect you I've come to realise that if I kept you with me you would be in more danger than ever.'

'I don't understand,' Ruth stepped back, starting to appear upset.

'The Director wants me dead; he wants the rest of us dead!' Coach told her. 'He pulled you from being evacuated just so he could try and get the upper hand. If you stay with me you could end up hurt.' He took a breath. 'Our baby could end up hurt.' Ruth ran her hands over her stomach protectively.

'What are you saying?' Ruth asked Coach, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

'I'm going away,' he told her. 'To protect you I need to get away from you.' Ruth began to cry and shook her head, disbelieving. She kept saying 'no' over Coach's words. 'Edward has promised me that he'll look after you and he'll work with some other people to help bring us back when the time is right.'

'When the time is right?' Ruth repeated. 'And when will that be, then? When will the time be right for you to see me again? When will the time be right for you to be a father?' There was a tense moment of silence.

'I don't know,' Coach answered truthfully.

'I can't believe it,' Ruth turned away from him. 'I can't believe you're running away from all of this.'

'I am not running away!' Coach insisted.

'Like hell you aren't!' Ruth looked back at him, a venomous look in her eye. 'Maybe it's for the best though? I mean you nearly got us both killed because of your dealings with fucking loan sharks! Who knows what you'll do to a child?'

There was another tense moment of silence; the wind had even died down leaving Coach and Ruth staring at each other. Ruth closed her eyes slowly and swallowed.

'I didn't mean that,' she said. Coach was nodding his head slowly. 'What I meant to say was...'

'It's okay,' Coach stopped her. 'I know what you wanted to say.' Ruth silently shed more tears as Coach stepped back from her. 'I don't care what you think,' he said. 'Maybe I would be a bad father. The only thing I know is the best way I could be a father and a husband would be if I let you go.' Ruth took in a breath, ready to say something. She wanted to argue but the words would just not come out. The two exchanged glances for one final moment. Coach then turned around and walked away, around the helicopters and out of sight. Ruth stumbled back and held onto the rails for support. She then knelt to the ground and started sobbing as Coach walked away from her. This would be the last time she would see him, a fact that hurt her deeply. For Coach, he felt comfort knowing that she would be safe without him.

*

Nick was pacing the deck nervously. He was waiting for the others to arrive and then they would be able to put their plan into action. Ellis walked around the corner and saw Nick pacing nervously.

'Give him a moment,' Bill spoke from the shadows, his face briefly illuminated by the flame from his lighter. With his cigarette lit, he stepped from the shadows and went for a walk with Ellis. 'Want one?' he offered Ellis a cigarette but he politely declined.

'No thank you, sir,' he spoke respectfully. 'Are you sure we shouldn' go keep him company? I mean we are about to do somethin' major and we need to support each other.'

'We also need to prepare ourselves,' Bill told him. 'Now you see, I prepare myself for a tough fight by smoking one of these babies.' He held up his pack of cigarettes proudly.

'You smoke all the time,' Ellis pointed out.

'I need them to get by,' Bill told him. 'I mean, hell, we all do stuff to try and get by. I know Francis makes his way through the world by hating everything he sees. He turns that hate into something he can manage so he can have a happy life.'

'That don't make sense,' Ellis told him.

'Neither does smoking a whole pack of cigarettes before I do a lot of physical activity,' Bill noted. Ellis smiled a small smile and then nodded.

'Okay,' he said. Bill took the cigarette from his hand and flicked the ash off over the side of the ship.

'So what do you do to relax?' he asked Ellis. 'To control your nerves, to prepare yourself for a tough day?'

'I talk to my friend, Keith,' Ellis answered.

'Is he here now?' Bill asked, looking around. Ellis narrowed his eyes, thinking.

'He's sort of always there,' he told him. 'Always has been, for as long as I can remember.'

'I see,' Bill said cautiously.

'But then I made some new friends,' Ellis continued. 'Nick, Rochelle and Coach. Especially Coach. He takes care of me. We all sort of take care of each other.'

'Is that why you're going along with this plan?' Bill asked. 'Because you want to take care of your friends?'

'Why else would I do it?' Ellis shrugged. 'I ain't never had real friends like those guys before.'

'What about Keith?' Bill asked. Ellis gave him a knowing look.

'I ain't never had real friends before,' he told him. Bill slowly nodded, understanding what Ellis was saying. He threw his cigarette butt over the side of the ship and took another one out of the pack. He offered one to Ellis once more and this time he smiled and took it.

*

Norah was walking through the ship's corridors, heading toward Nick, where everyone else was meeting. As she turned a corner, she ran into Francis who bumped into her.

'Oh, sorry,' he said as they stumbled around the corridor.

'It's okay,' she brushed her hair out of her face. 'Why are you going that way? We're meeting up ahead.'

'I know,' Francis nodded. 'I just wanted to get a drink before we did all of this.'

'I can't have you going in there drunk,' Norah said jokingly.

'It's for you guys,' he told her. Norah looked surprised. 'Hey just because I'm a tough guy doesn't mean I can't do something nice!'

'I wasn't thinking that,' Norah shook her head.

'Yeah, right,' Francis muttered light-heartedly.

'No, really!' Norah insisted.

'What were you thinking, then?' Francis asked her.

'I was thinking that a drink would be the perfect thing for me right now,' Norah answered truthfully. Francis grinned and took her hand, leading her down the opposite direction. Norah giggled slightly as they went down the corridor together.

*

It was a cold night when Zoey had stepped up on deck, still wearing her pink hooded top and tattered jeans. She had left to get some fresh air; the people she was sharing quarters with had a collective bad smell since all water was being rationed until they returned. The sky was black and there was no moon however; the abundant number of stars that shone brighter than Zoey had ever seen them more than made up for it. She walked along the deck breathing in the fresh ocean air. The faint taste of salt was in her mouth as she took in a deep breath; clearing her lungs of everything below. Zoey began to choke as she inhaled a sudden and large amount of smoke. She looked up and saw Richard Jaeger lighting up a cigarette.

'Sorry,' he said.

'Don't worry about it,' Zoey spluttered. 'Just... caught me off guard.'

'This air is too damn fresh,' Jaeger said, looking at the cigarette. He offered it to Zoey. 'Have to humanise it a bit.'

'A bit of fresh air is all I need right now,' Zoey said, leaning against the guard rail. She looked at the cigarette for a moment and took it. 'Although this is pretty good, too.' Zoey took in a deep breath and handed it back to Jaeger, letting the smoke fly out of her mouth in one quick blow.

For a moment the two stared out to sea without saying a word. The gentle crashing of the waves below along with the gusty force of the wind seemed to be pushing everything they had been through out of their minds and into distant memory.

'Do you think it's really over?' Zoey asked, still looking straight ahead.

'Not in a long shot,' Jaeger said bluntly. 'When we get back we'll probably be quarantined for about a week until they can determine we're not dangerous... they'll do that with everyone but someone's bound to slip through the cracks. They always do.'

'After all this time though,' Zoey thought aloud, 'surely they're of no risk to anyone anymore.'

'We don't know anything about this virus,' Jaeger said. 'It could linger for ages... we could all be immune but be carrying it.'

'Shit...' she muttered. Jaeger looked to Zoey and saw that he was causing her to worry.

'We're all fine though,' he added. 'And besides there are bigger things to worry about.'

'Like the guy who blew up your ship?'

'I'm gonna make him pay,' Jaeger said, taking a long breath from the cigarette before throwing it into the ocean. 'I'd better get back,' he said absently. 'See you later.' Zoey wondered why he was leaving so abruptly but she noticed Louis making his way toward her. He waved pleasantly at Jaeger before standing next to her, putting his hand on her back.

'You're healing well,' Zoey smiled.

'Who'd have thought you'd get such great healthcare on a cruise ship?' Louis joked. Zoey smiled and looked out again to sea. Louis put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. 'We've sure been through a lot.' Zoey rolled her eyes. She came outside to be alone, not to reflect on her relationship with Louis. Was there a relationship? He had saved her life when they first met... they watched each other's backs and helped each other survive up to this point. There was no doubt they had grown close together but... The first romantic thing that had happened between them was a kiss.

A kiss. One kiss at a point when they both were overcome with emotion; thinking that they were going to get out and get to freedom. When everything went wrong since then they didn't really have a chance to talk about it. They were either separated, on the boat of the damned or on a sinking aircraft carrier.

'It sure was a crazy ride...' Zoey said quietly. Louis looked to her and pushed some hair off her face.

'What's wrong?' he asked. Zoey shook herself and stepped away from him.

'Louis...' she said solemnly, biting her lower lip. 'We have been through a lot... and I... don't want what we've been through to cloud where we're going to go.' Louis was quiet for a moment.

'What?' he asked, confused. Zoey turned round and looked to him.

'I don't want to start something if there's... nothing there...' she said as carefully as she could. Louis suddenly understood what she was talking about.

'Right,' Louis said, unsure of what to say. Zoey stepped forward, holding her wrists.

'I mean you're an amazing guy, Louis,' she said sincerely. 'I know I wouldn't be here without you but... I mean before I was in hospital...' She let go of her wrists and put them behind her back. 'I wasn't in a good place and I... I need to make sure that I'm okay before I can go into anything... serious...'

'You seem fine to me,' Louis swallowed hard.

'I just need time, okay?' Zoey asked. 'Let's not... rush things. Everything's going to be okay now. We've got all the time in the world.'

'I guess...' Louis said, clearly disappointed.

'I think, for now,' Zoey said in the same careful manner as before, 'that we should get to know each other normally before we go into anything. I mean in the situation we were in before; everything was so rushed and fast paced...'

'I guess you're right,' Louis sighed. He looked to Zoey and smiled. Zoey smiled back. Louis nodded and then said something that Zoey would later forget. Zoey would find herself several months later thinking about this incident as she stood in a quarantine facility in London, England after the Director released the infection inside the city. The words that Louis said that Zoey would forget were simple ones. 'Nick and Rochelle would seem to be happy together though. I'm sure we could.'

Although she did not know it at the time, Zoey would eventually be happy with Louis.

*

Norah Hanham and Richard Jaeger, Coach and Bill, Nick and Francis, Louis and Ellis and finally Zoey were all stood together.

'This is the last time we will all see each other,' Norah told them. 'So all I can say is; good luck.' There was a moment of silence as everyone thought about what they were going to do. To an outsider it would look as if they were praying. 'We only have a fifteen minute window,' Norah reminded them. 'Let's get to work!' Everyone suddenly split up. Norah and Ellis went together in one direction while Jaeger, Coach and Louis went in another. Nick, Francis and Zoey went their own way. The three part plan was now underway.

*

Norah and Ellis casually made their way around the outer decks, passing soldiers and refugees until they came to the makeshift helicopter landing zones. For their plan to succeed, they needed a helicopter for their escape vehicle. The helicopters had sparse protection, only one soldier with an M-16 was stood to keep away any civilians. He was quite a handsome young man, Norah thought, so she formed a plan in her head.

'I'll take care of this,' she told Ellis, making him wait there. She walked over to the soldier, unbuttoning the top few buttons of her blouse and pushing her breasts close together and lifting them up slightly. Pushing her chest out somewhat, Norah approached the soldier walking as sultrily as she could. She felt extremely foolish.

'Hey army man,' Norah said to the soldier as she stopped in front of him. 'What're you doing out here all by yourself?' She winked at him.

'Ma'am you're gonna have to step back,' the soldier told her, speaking rather flatly.

'What's the matter?' Norah asked, leaning her head to one side and twisting her fingers through her hair. 'We're just talking.'

'I don't want to talk to you, ma'am,' the soldier spoke bluntly and Norah scoffed and stormed away back to Ellis.

'He's obviously gay,' she told him. 'He didn't even look at my breasts.'

'Well you were acting like an idiot,' Ellis told her truthfully. 'And you're old enough to be his mom.'

'Don't be smart!' Norah cried. 'Just go try and get past him.'

'Me?' Ellis asked. 'Why me?' Norah gave him a sarcastic look and pushed him forward. Ellis sighed but shrugged and stepped over toward the soldier. Norah watched from a distance.

Ellis approached the soldier nervously. He was bracing himself for an attack. Just because Norah's pathetic attempts at flirting failed did not mean that the soldier was gay. He stepped close to talk to him but at the last moment changed his mind and just walked past him. Norah sighed and slapped her palm to her face. As Ellis walked a few paces past the soldier, he turned around and went to try and talk to him again. However, he still lost his nerve and walked past him. As he went back toward Norah, she noticed the soldier watching Ellis walk by, glancing down to his rear. Norah smiled to herself.

'I found you a boyfriend, Edward,' she muttered to herself. Ellis stopped next to Norah.

'I can't do it,' he told her. 'He's gonna beat me up!'

'He was checking you out,' Norah reported. Ellis glanced back, surprised.

'Are you sure?' he asked her.

'I saw it with my own two eyes,' she said. 'I have really good gaydar, too.'

'Is that why you tried to flirt with him?' Ellis asked. Norah frowned, turned Ellis around and pushed him back toward to the soldier.

Ellis and the soldier's eyes met and the solider smiled at him. Ellis blushed and walked over to him, awkwardly.

'Hi,' Ellis muttered.

'Hey,' the soldier smiled. There was the briefest moment of silence. Ellis tried thinking of something to say.

'Hi,' he repeated. The soldier chuckled.

'What's up?' he asked.

'Not much,' Ellis muttered, trying to think of something witty to say. 'Nothing but the stars in the sky, anyway.' Ellis laughed nervously. Norah closed her eyes and looked away as if she had just seen a gruesome train wreck. The soldier smiled, finding Ellis' awkwardness charming.

'What's your name?' he asked.

'Ellis.'

'I'm Dan.'

'Dan, Dan the soldier man?' Ellis joked. Norah fell to the ground, embarrassed for Ellis.

'Yeah, you could say that,' Dan nodded. 'What brings you here then, Ellis?'

'Oh you know,' Ellis shrugged, thinking of a plausible reason to be there. 'I like... guns.' Dan frowned slightly. 'You know,' Ellis spoke rapidly, 'big army guns like that one. I like them.'

'You like guns?' Dan repeated, slowly.

'And helicopters.'

'I see.'

'What do you like?' Ellis asked.

'I dunno,' Dan shrugged. Norah looked back at the two. Ellis glanced over at her and she was making hand gestures telling Ellis to get closer to him. Ellis did so and took a step closer to Dan. However they were already quite close to start with and Ellis bumped his head into Dan's. Dan stumbled back slightly and fired his lowered weapon by mistake. The loud gunshot was silenced by his cries of pain as he fell to the ground after shooting his foot.

Moments later, Dan was carried away by medical professionals while Ellis and Norah stood by, watching. Norah was slowly shaking her head as she watched Dan get taken away.

'Are you a virgin, Ellis?' she asked.

'No, ma'am,' he told her.

'Now that is surprising,' Norah muttered, stepping toward the helicopters.

*

At the apex of the vessel was the bridge. Inside the large room were a mixture of soldiers, CEDA personnel and the civilian crew of the vessel. Outside; Jaeger, Coach and Louis were confidently making their way toward the entrance. A solider stopped them as they tried to enter the bridge. Jaeger held up his identification.

'Admiral Richard Jaeger,' he introduced himself, looking out of the corner of his eye at the two behind him. 'And these are my assistants; Coach and Louis.' The soldier allowed the three to pass and they stepped onto the bridge.

'Have you noticed your "assistants" are all black?' Louis asked Jaeger. 'You racist bitch.'

'Be quiet,' Jaeger told him. 'It's time to get to work.' Jaeger moved around the room silently as to not disturb the people inside. Louis stayed put as Coach moved around the other end of the room. As he watched them, Louis took out a small grenade from his pocket and placed it in a hidden area. Coach took out a similar grenade as did Jaeger, placing it away as well. The three exchanged knowing glances, nodded and stepped away from their positions into the centre of the bridge. After a moment, smoke began to emit steadily from their positions. After a few moments someone noticed the smoke and became alarmed.

'Oh my God,' he gasped. 'Fire!'

'Ladies and gentlemen,' Jaeger announced, 'if you would please vacate the premises we will be able to handle the situation.'

'And who the hell are you?' someone else asked rudely.

'We're the God damn fire department,' Coach muttered menacingly into his ear.

'That's it,' Louis said as he ushered people through the door. 'Nice and easy. Right this way.' The last person who was on the bridge when they arrived stepped through the door and looked back.

'Are you not coming as well?' he asked Louis.

'No,' was his answer and Louis slammed the door shut just after Coach and Jaeger had thrown the smoke grenades out of the enclosed space.

'We don't have a lot of time,' Coach muttered, looking over to Jaeger.

'All we need to do is push this button,' Jaeger told them, leaning over a control panel. He found the button he wanted and pushed it.

All over the cruise ship, alarms began to wail. As Noah and Ellis proceeded to steal the helicopter, soldiers looked around nervously while passengers began to panic.

'Warning,' Jaeger spoke into the announcement system. 'Biohazard...' he then disconnected the call. 'That should get the juices flowing.'

*

Down below, just outside of the brig, the three soldiers were conversing worriedly. Nick, Bill and Francis were waiting around the corner for their moment to strike.

'They're not moving,' Nick muttered angrily.

'One on one,' Bill noted. 'We can take them.'

'Okay, old man,' Francis patted Bill on the back. 'You take the weak looking one.'

'If you spit out another old joke I'll punch you so hard you'll spit out your teeth,' Bill snapped back.

'So we're ready to go then,' Nick nodded, stepping around the corner with the other two and marching toward the soldiers. 'Excuse me,' Nick asked them as they closed the gap. 'What's with the alarms?' Nick grabbed the soldier's gun and beat him in the face with it while Bill and Francis punched and kicked their targets, which put up more of a fight. Francis threw a punch that was almost immediately blocked. The soldier twisted Francis' wrist, spinning him around. He then kicked him in the back of the legs, sending him down to his knees. Bill kicked the solider in front of him, but found his attack deflected. Bill stepped forward and landed a punch on the soldier's face and then found himself locked in a grapple as the two wrestled their way through the corridor.

Nick looked over at Francis and, using the weapon he had just acquired, hit the soldier in the back of the head. Francis got to his feet and saw Bill fighting.

'You help your friend,' he told Nick, patting his back and heading after Bill. Nick moved to the door to the brig and unlocked it as Francis turned around the corner. He pulled open the door and went inside.

The chair was empty. Rochelle was not inside.

*

Rochelle was outside on the deck walking past panicked passengers and alert soldiers. A set of handcuffs dangled from her left wrist. She brushed through all of the people in her way, heading for the lifeboats. A soldier recognised her and held his weapon up at her, ordering her to freeze. Rochelle knocked away the weapon and using the other ring of the handcuff as a knuckle duster; she punched him in the face and took his weapon. Standing on top of one of the raised lifeboats that was waiting to be lowered into the ocean, Rochelle fired a few shots at the supports and fell along with the boat into the water below. Taking control, Rochelle pulled away from the cruise ship.

*

Bill was pushed into the engine room of the vessel, forced in by the soldier he was fighting. He had been disarmed, the gun discarded absentmindedly away and was now using his fists against a surprisingly strong old man. Bill threw punches that the soldier blocked before counterattacking, when Bill managed to evade the blows.

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Louis was looking at one of the monitors closely while Coach and Jaeger glanced at the door. People were banging on it from the other side.

'They're gonna get in any moment,' Coach decided to break the silence by stating the obvious.

'They're launching life boats!' Louis spoke up, pointing to the screen. 'See, one's already gone.'

'That's because it's been damaged,' Jaeger told him, noting the red text on the screen. Coach looked around the bridge and found a pair of binoculars and looked out in the direction the lifeboat had gone. In the distance he saw Rochelle's unmistakeable pink shirt.

'What the hell are you doing?' Coach muttered to himself, lowering the binoculars.

There was a particularly forceful bang on the door and it moved slightly.

'You gotta get out of here,' Jaeger told Coach.

'How the hell can I do that?' Coach asked. Louis stood up on one of the consoles and kicked out the glass of one of the windows and gestured outside.

'Let's go.'

Bill suffered a kick to the face and stumbled to the ground. The soldier stamped his foot on his chest and pushed down hard.

'You're under arrest,' he told Bill.

'I don't think so,' Bill responded.

'Oh yeah? What makes you think that?'

'Him,' Bill looked at Francis who was stood behind the solider. The man turned just as Francis punched him in the head, knocking him off Bill. Francis extended his hand to help Bill up. 'Nice shot,' Bill took his hand.

*

Nick pushed past people on the deck, making his way for Norah and Ellis. He boarded the helicopter they were on.

'Rochelle wasn't there,' he told them. 'I have no idea where she is.'

'I do,' Coach stepped onboard.

Ellis was in the front, flicking switches.

'Are you sure you can fly this thing?' Nick asked him.

'I'm better with planes,' Ellis admitted, 'but hell, I did this shit all the time on Microsoft Flight Simulator.' Everyone exchanged nervous, uneasy glances. Norah looked outside, feeling uneasy. 'Hey, did I ever tell you guys about the time me and Keith snuck into the pilots bar at the airport?'

'Tell us when we've picked up Rochelle,' Coach told him. 'Let's go, come on!' Ellis obeyed Coach's command and lifted the helicopter into the air and flew off, away from the cruise ship. Jaeger, Louis, Bill, Francis and Zoey watched them fly away, back toward America.

*

Not too far away from the cruise ship, Rochelle was in the lifeboat, making her own way back to land. She was prepared to be alone and was surprised when Ellis flew the helicopter over her, using a bright searchlight to find her in the ocean water. Rochelle squinted her eyes as she looked up. She saw Nick leaning out of the vehicle, holding out his hand for her. Rochelle sat there, looking up at the helicopter and thought for a moment. She wondered what she should do. Should she go back to the people she had so easily abandoned? Would they forgive her? What was the alternative? Live a life of solitude back on land. She knew she would not survive very long. She also knew that she would not be happy without the companionship of the person reaching out to her. Looking up, Rochelle placed her hand in Nick's.

As Coach, Nick, Ellis and Rochelle, joined by Norah, went back toward America; Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey, along with Jaeger, stood on the deck of their cruise ship as everything died down. They knew nothing of what would happen to them over the next few months. Bill did not know that he would live in a small apartment with Francis, Louis did not know that he would eventually get together with Zoey and Jaeger did not know of the ultimate sacrifice he would have to make in order to bring down the Director. However, they did know one thing.

They would come back for them.


	14. Preview The Midnight Riders

Preview:

_Hello, guys. I'd like to thank you so much for reading my second Left 4 Dead fic. What follows is a preview of my third and final Left 4 Dead fic; The Midnight Riders. It will be my own take on The Passing, involving all eight of the Left 4 Dead characters and some of my own. Look out for the story "The Midnight Riders", coming real soon!_

'Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the infectious disaster that destroyed the western continents,' spoke the middle-aged newsreader through the old, small television. The image quality was poor; frequently fading away, blurring or cutting out into static. Still, it was the only source of light for what appeared to be a very small cafeteria. There were two tables with small, circular seats attached to them. Lying down over some of these seats was a man wearing a green beret that was tilted over his face. In his mouth was a lit cigarette, the end flame flaring as the elderly man took in a breath of smoke.

'All over the world,' the news reader continued to say to his barely interested audience, 'memorial marches have been arranged in honour of the over one billion people who lost their lives due to the disease. A minute of silence will take place at twelve noon.' The man lying on the seats removed the cigarette from his mouth and let out a chuckle, the smoke drifting up out of his mouth. He leant up and took the nearby remote and switched off the television, leaving the end of his cigarette as the only source of light in the room.

'Son it's gonna take more than a minute to remember the dead,' the man sighed to himself, straightening his beret and standing up, leaving the small cafeteria. Dressed in his favourite army uniform from the Vietnam War, Bill stepped through the doorway and into a tight corridor. The space was scarce and light was low but Bill moved confidently through the corridor of thick tubes and pipes, cables, wires and into a larger room.

The room was a square one, with computers, monitors and consoles surrounding the entirety of the area. In the centre was a large table that had an image on it. The image displayed was a map of their current position. Bill saw that they were close to the east coast of America, approaching North Carolina. There was another entrance to the room, just beyond the table. Stepping through the door was a handsome young man in dark naval attire. He took one look at Bill and his face became angry.

'Bill!' Miguel Doyle spoke angrily. 'You're in a submarine! For God's sake man, you can't keep smoking everywhere!'

'Who's gonna stop me?' Bill asked rhetorically. Miguel stood tall and defiantly before him.

'I will,' he told him. Bill chuckled in response.

'I'd like to see you try...'

'I agreed to take you and your friends with me as a personal favour for Anna Shepherd,' Miguel told Bill. 'Even so, I'm not going to have you disregard the rules on my boat, or petulantly disobey my orders!'

'Making friends, I see?' said Zoey jokingly as she stepped into the room. Bill and Miguel glanced over to her, Bill with a look of slight anger and Miguel having a gaze of moderate seriousness. 'Oh God, Bill, can't you just be nice for once?'

'He started it,' Bill insisted.

'He started what?' Zoey asked.

'He won't let me smoke.'

'We're in a submarine!' Zoey cried.

'Thank you,' Miguel gestured appreciatively to Zoey.

'This isn't over,' Bill looked back to Miguel.

'Oh yes, it is,' Miguel told him, taking the cigarette from Bill's mouth, throwing it to the floor and stubbing it out with his shoe. When he looked up, he saw the venomous glare that Bill was now giving him and recoiled, stepping backward.

'Bill...' Zoey spoke with caution.

'Keep out of this, kid,' Bill told her, stepping close toward Miguel, who matched his pace by stepping backward. 'You want to try something like that again?' Bill asked him. 'Just try it. And I'll do the same to your genitals.'

'Okay,' Zoey spoke up, trying to sound cheerful, stepping in between the two men. 'Maybe it's time we go over the plan again?'

Bill and Miguel exchanged glances. They stared at each other for a few moments, neither one of them wanting to back down. Zoey looked seriously at Bill, using her expression to tell him to back away.

'Fine,' Bill said, stepping back. 'But this ain't over.'

'What isn't over?' asked Francis, who stepped into the room along with Louis.

'Nothing,' Zoey spoke up quickly. 'Nothing at all.' She looked at Louis and smiled at him. 'Hey.'

'Hi,' Louis waved at her.

'Alright,' Miguel composed himself. 'Now that you're all here we may as well go over the plan and the ground rules.'

As the submarine approached the coast, Miguel spoke the plan to Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey. In theory it was a simple one; find five people. Former United States Secretary of Homeland Security Norah Hanham had been lost in the United States along with a high school gym teacher known as Coach, his mechanic best friend Ellis, a former conman called Nick and a woman whose life was shrouded with secrets named Rochelle. These five people were connected to Bill and his friends, united in their battle against the former director of a now destroyed organisation, CEDA. They needed to bring them back home.

The submarine surfaced off the coast of North Carolina and a small boat was launched from it. Onboard were seven people, four of them being Bill, Francis, Louis and Zoey and the other three being heavily armed soldiers. As they landed on the beach, the team set foot on sand and looked at their surroundings. Everywhere was quiet and desolate.

'My God,' Bill took in a deep breath and sighed. 'It feels good to be back home.'

Standing between them and their goal was a path littered with destruction, tragedy and an infinite number of infected. A year had passed since they had fought the infected, but little did Bill or the others know that the horde had changed over the year.

There were now new infected. And they were stronger.


End file.
